The Opp Bobcats have been working hard through the offseason as they prepare to kick off the 2018 high school football season.

“It’s been good so far,” Opp head coach Brent Hill said of the first week of fall practice. “It’s been hot, but it’s been good for the to get acclimated to the heat.”

One thing that has pleased him about his team has been their attitudes, Hill said.

“Their attitudes have been great,” Hill said. “I only have five seniors and six juniors so the majority of the team are ninth and tenth graders. That says a lot about them for a bunch of young kids to come out here with this type of attitude and to be as coachable as they are. A lot kids might think it’s personal when you get on them, but you are just coaching them on that position. These kids understand that and that’s great.”

Hill said that right now they are still focusing on themselves and not looking ahead to their first opponent.

“Right now we are still focusing on us,” Hill said. “We are still very focused on fundamentals.”

On Friday, the Bobcats went full pads for the first time this fall, Hill said.

“We just had our first day of full pads,” Hill said. “Got some guys that are sore after working out all summer, but no major injuries. A kid can look good all summer in drills, but when the pads get strapped on it’s a different game.”

As they prepare for the season, Hill said there are a few things that the Bobcats need to improve.

“We have to work on tackling and blocking,” Hill said. “You can run drills for that stuff in the summer, but it’s different when you are in pads and you are going up against someone else in pads.”

Hill said they are still working on schemes as well as fundamentals.

“We are still focusing on us at this point,” Hill said. “We want to more multiple on defense than we were last year. On offense, we are doing a lot of same stuff, but have made it more simple for the kids but still hard on the defenses.”

Opp kicks off the season on Aug. 31 when they play host to Elba.

The Bobcats get into region play on Sept. 7 when they face their rivals, the Straughn Tigers in Straughn.