Now that the start of fall practice is less than a month away, Straughn coach Trent Taylor said the focus now is to “maintain what you’ve done.”

Like many other schools, Straughn started its summer workouts in June, and went four days per week — Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Taylor said the coaches gave the players two different times to work out, whether it be at 6 a.m. or at 5 p.m.

Which one did they choose?

“Believe it or now, we had the majority of the kids want to come in the morning,” Taylor said. “Which was a little different than how it’s been in the past. I supposed that maybe some had jobs to make it easier to come in the mornings.”

On the first three days of the week, the Tigers focus on conditioning and weightlifting. On Thursdays, they would start at 5 p.m. to work on any aspect of the game.

This week, the Tigers went back to the four-day work routine, but will meet at 5 p.m. in the afternoons, not at 6 a.m.

In addition to the normal weightlifting and conditioning each day, Taylor said that the football aspect of the workouts will be incorporated in each day.

“We’ll still be in the weight room, but not as long,” Taylor said. “We’ll divide up into groups, and we’ll have a group in the weight room and on the field. They’ll rotate in, and come back out and do conditioning as a team.”

At the end of this month on July 29, Straughn will host a 7-on-7 football tournament.

Andalusia, Pleasant Home, Red Level will be among the players.

Taylor said that his Tigers are ready to hit the field after the impressive 2009 football season, in which Straughn made it to the third round of the Class 3A state playoffs.

The Tigers fell to Cordova 13-7, and will join the Class 4A ranks this season with its 22 seniors at the helm of the program.

“I think our kids are eager,” Taylor said. “Things got going good there, and then boom, the rug got pulled out from under you.

“They’re ready to get back on the field,” he said. “Having that many seniors, your leadership ought to be great. It’s been good this summmer, but we need it to be great. They’ve got to teach others how to practice, and show them what football is all about. “