There were positives on the opening day of football practice at Junction City, but the lower number of players on the field was also a concern.

Coach Randall Zimmerman noted that the team practiced fast. Day one there’s no contact or anything. Everything is against air, and I was very very pleased that our kids that were around all summer long were able to step in and didn’t really miss a beat.”

The concern is that the number of players out for football is down. There were 103 players on the field at the beginning of practice, and a few players arrived a bit later, with some having to complete paperwork and physicals.

On the reduced number of players, Zimmerman stated, “It’s quite a bit down, quite a ways down.” Zimmerman added,  “The kids that we had out there tonight did a great job, really worked hard, worked with great discipline and I really liked seeing what I saw.”

The Blue Jays will scrimmage at Al Simpler Stadium Saturday morning, followed by the annual team picnic. The first game is September 1st at home against Emporia.