BRINGING THE RUST DOWN: After a lull, the Cougars show signs of improvement | Sports

AAfter one week, the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association blackout period is over and teams are returning to the field to make their final preparations for the 2024 season.

On Monday, July 8, the Keys Cougars returned to the field looking to build on their development from the spring. As the Cougars began seven-on-seven preseason games, they maintained new head coach Justin Brown’s offensive and defensive game plans, although they were a bit rusty.

“Since the spring, the improvement has been obvious. They were new to the game then, and you can tell they’re learning,” Brown said. “You can easily see the technicians improving because they play seven-on-seven almost every week. I’ve been pleased with our technicians; they’ve caught up. They’ve kept the new defense. They’ve shaken off some of the rust.”

Now that the off week is over, the Cougars are looking to increase their activity in the weight room. Hitting the weight room four times a week through August will surely pay off for the team.

Brown hopes that the Cougars’ good conditioning in July will allow them to jump right into action in August.

“That’s our main focus. When we’re in the weight room or out running, our goal is to be in the best shape possible,” Brown said. “It’s going to take some time to get used to, but the more they work now, the more football we can play in August. My intention is not to punish them, but to get them in the best shape so they can be the best players they can be.”

While the skill players have participated in 7-on-7 camps, the linemen have not yet had the opportunity to work with another team. However, that will soon change as the Cougars prepare to start linemen camps.

“We have a lineman training camp coming up soon, we’ll do some work there to make sure their footwork is in shape,” Brown said. “The guys with the skills have had a chance to improve, and now the line is getting the same chance.”

Throughout the training season, Brown has noticed a difference on the field. A change in mentality has been important to the Cougars’ development. Since the spring, Brown has noticed a new development compared to last season.

“I think our attitude as a team, even in the spring, is 1,000 times better than it was last year,” Brown said. “I think part of that is because players are maturing or new players are bringing a worker attitude. So far, we’re not letting ourselves get too rattled. On offense, I preach staying calm and just moving on to the next game. I would like to see that continue in fall camp and having a positive attitude. We don’t want to get hung up on anything, good or bad. I think these guys have done a great job of improving that.”

The Cougars’ official practice season begins in early August. The Cougars will kick off their season at Gore on Friday, September 6th at 7 p.m. After missing the playoffs by one game last season, the Cougars will look to improve on their three-win season.

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