MONTICELLO — Like all area football teams, the Lawrence CountyCougars are hard at work to get ready for the fall football season.That means the Cougars are pumping the weights and hitting thetrack running for several days a week in hot, humid conditions toget in shape for the fall season.

Lawrence County, 5-5 last year in the tough Region 6-4A, worksout 3 mornings a week, beginning 7:30. They also practice onThursday afternoon at 5:30.

“We are going out each morning and the Cats are going to get awarm up,” said Lawrence County head football coach Mike Davis. “Weget our core lifts, bench presses, power cleans, etc.”

“We have stations inside the field house. We have new weightequipment. The players move from one station to another.”

The Cougars spend about 50 minutes inside then 50 minutesoutside with running exercises.

Davis said they are averaging 45 players this summer.

“Outside, we do our bleachers, pyrometric. explosion exercises,”explained Davis. “We finish with our sprints. Then we stretchit.

“We do a lot of explosive exercises,” explained Davis. “Wefinish with our pyrometric explosive exercises. The big cats arejumping. We split them in sections. We want to be bigger and fasterwith summer program. We alternate short distances to longerones.”

Julius Magee, a 6-2, 240-pound senior, plays linebacker and ishitting the weight room hard to improve.

“I like the power lifts,” said Magee about his favorite workout.”I want to get faster and stronger. We have a pretty goodworkout.”

Blake Stalans, a 6-0, 177-pound senior quarterback-widereceiver, pushes himself this summer to improve.

“I like to work on the squats,” explained Stalans. “I want toget as big as I can. The workouts have been great. Everybody isworking hard.”

Davis said his coaching staff has been working hard with theplayers during the summer.

“All the coaches are helping this summer,” stated Davis. Thecoaching staff includes Jay Livingston, Eric Booth, Cory Keyes,Jessie Anderson and Lester Magee.

“We sweat a whole lot,” added Davis. “The kids have comethrough. They go through our summer workout. Our kids come from asfar as 30 miles north or south.”

Davis said summer workouts are essential if you want to becompetitive in the tough Region 6-4A.

“You have to do it now-a-days,” added Davis about the summerworkouts. “The kids are working hard.”

Lawrence County kicks off preseason in the West Jones Jamboree.on Friday, August 24. The Cougars kick off their season on Friday,Aug. 31, hosting Petal.