Prep football teams prepare for practices in Las Vegas heat

Liberty football coach Rich Muraco had to adjust his summer practice schedule.

As Las Vegas experienced a record heat wave in July, high school teams had to figure out how to manage the heat and continue with their programs.

So instead of having a weightlifting session in the morning and having his players come back at night to practice, Muraco said he scheduled everything within a 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. window.

“We’re going to gradually introduce them into the heat more and more,” Muraco said. “This week, we’ll stay in the later (times), and we’ll start getting them into the 4 o’clock range when it’s really hot. It’s all about kids staying hydrated, rested and making sure their nutrition is correct.”

Nevada teams begin their first official week beginning with heat acclimation periods Monday and Tuesday, when teams practice in shorts, T-shirts and helmets in no-contact drills.

Noncontact practices with helmets and shells are allowed beginning Wednesday, and the first official day for fall sports practices and fully padded practices is Saturday. Teams are allowed to participate in scrimmages Aug. 9.

“Our kids, they can’t wait to get the pads on and start hitting each other,” Muraco said. “There’s only so much you can do running around in shorts and T-shirts.”

Early start

Some teams will have less than three weeks to prepare for their season openers Aug. 16, while many others will start their season the following week. Legacy, which won the Class 5A Division III state title last season and moved up to 5A Division II, will face Basic on Aug. 16.

Legacy coach Zach Monticelli said with the Longhorns playing so late into last season, he thought they didn’t have much of an offseason, but he said he isn’t worried with a lot of returning players. With the short time in pads before its first game, Monticelli said his team would quickly get into game prep.

“It’s tough. We’re playing a tough opponent, too, but luckily we get a scrimmage,” Monticelli said. “They have to go through the same thing, too. Everybody has the same thing. Week 1 is a little more sloppy, with some more penalties, but we try to get better each week.”

Bishop Gorman won’t ease into the season, either, with an Aug. 16 game and a difficult nonconference schedule. The Gaels, who won their fourth mythical national title last season, are ranked No. 2 in MaxPreps’ preseason poll.

They open at home against Kahuku, the three-time defending Hawaii Open Division state champion. They also play at top-ranked Mater Dei (California) on Sept. 6.

Gorman coach Brent Browner said he’s eager to see how sharp his team is in the first week of practice.

“With all the things we’ve put in the last couple months, we want to make sure we’re hitting on all cylinders and doing things we’re supposed to be doing,” he said.

Gorman has practiced during the warmer times of the day to prepare for the temperatures for games early in its schedule. Browner said his team has felt the benefit of that while balancing the heat.

“It’s a lot of hydration,” he said. “We’ve done it for so long now the guys are actually used to it, but we still take a lot of precautions. We use (our athletic training center) with so many minutes (inside) and so many minutes (outside). … That’s helped us through the hot, but it’s still hot.”

‘Who’s going to compete’

Liberty was looking for a Week 0 opponent in Hawaii. But after those plans fell through, Muraco decided to take a bye for opening week.

Muraco said he sees the benefit of having an extra week to practice in pads before playing a game with several key position jobs still unsettled.

“It gives us more time to really assess where we are,” he said. “We have nine new starters on offense. When you play Week 0, you don’t have a lot of time to spend on fundamentals at the beginning.”

Jose Flores is in his first season leading Desert Pines after serving as an assistant coach last season. The Jaguars won’t play their first game until Aug. 23.

Flores said he’s seen things “click” for his team the past two weeks as he’s navigated the “ups and downs” of transitioning to head coach.

“It’s been a long summer with no pads, so now you really get to see the guys that you’re assuming are going to be the guys for you,” Flores said. “I’m excited to see who’s going to compete when the pads come on.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.