As the sound of crunching shoulder pads echoed through the heavy morning air, the shouts from Thomas Heyward's football coaches pierced their players' ears.
"Drive your feet, drive your feet!"
"Get lower, get lower!"
Last Friday morning the coaching staff hosted the second day of its "War in the Trenches" camp.
The camp focused on proper blocking technique and the development of muscle memory, so during the season the players won't think about their technique, but will react.

The high school football season gets going this week with the start of official practices. Ridgeland and Hardeeville high schools begin at midnight on Friday,
Thomas Heyward practices at 8 a.m. on Monday and Abundant Life's first practice is Monday at 3:30 p.m.
Here is a look at some important questions facing each of the local teams.

Abundant Life

The Ridgeland Jr. Jaguars are ready for some football.
Last week the Lowcountry Youth Football League held its annual meeting and the Jr. Jaguars were unanimously voted in as new members.
According to a news release sent by the league, the Jr. Jaguars will participate on a probationary status this season, which is standard procedure for new teams. The Jr. Jaguars will be entitled to receive any rewards attained at the end of the season, provided all league rules are met during the course of the season.

For the second time in several weeks Abundant Life Academy has lost a coach.
Steve Exley, the school's athletics director and baseball coach, stepped down last week after 17 years with the school.
Exley guided the Cougars to 12 South Carolina Association of Christian School Class A state baseball titles and three state softball titles.
In June, Exley began working part-time for Metal Clad Industries in Rincon, Ga. Last week the company asked him to be its full-time vice president of operations.

As Ridgeland High's football team has progressed during coach Richard Kirkland's tenure, the Jaguars have established themselves as a strong running team.
When Ridgeland drives for touchdowns, it's usually after lengthy run-driven possessions.
But if the Jaguars are going to continue to improve, Kirkland knows they can't be one-dimensional.
"(Passing) is what most teams do," he said. "For us to be considered a normal football program we need to complete seven or eight passes a game."

As the start of official high school football practices gets closer, Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville wants to make sure the athletes are prepared to face the draining heat and humidity and understand what is needed to stay healthy.
On Saturday the hospital will host a summer sports medicine conference. The free conference, open to athletics directors, coaches, players and parents, will begin at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and health screenings. The program starts at 10 a.m.

A former Jasper County athlete continues to thrive as Chanelle King, a 2007 Jasper County High graduate, recently signed to play for NCAA Division II Augusta State (Ga.) University's women's basketball team.
King, who averaged 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game her senior season for Jasper County High's girls basketball team, played the past two years at NJCAA Division I Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn.
In 14 games last season King, a 6-foot-2 junior, scored 20 points and grabbed 33 rebounds.

The Ridgeland Jr. Jaguars are officially new members of the Lowcountry Youth Football League. According to a news release sent by the league, the league recently held its annual league meeting to prepare for the upcoming football season.

The released states: 

The first 7-on-7 passing competition was decent, Hardeeville coach Blake Raley said. The second one? Not so much.
"I didn't see us progress," Raley said.
Last week Hardeeville hosted Thomas Heyward Academy and Wade Hampton and Beach (Savannah) high schools for its second passing competition.
The Hurricanes' offense was marred by dropped passes and the defense had some trouble adjusting to different formations, such as three-wide receiver sets.

In successive possessions of last week's 7-on-7 passing competition at Hardeeville High, Thomas Heyward rising senior Logan Mock ran a post pattern to the right corner of the end zone and caught a touchdown pass from teammate JD Tuten.
On the first score, Mock dove and cradled the ball against his body as he tumbled to the ground.
On the second, Mock ran a precise pattern and had no defender within a few yards of him when he scored.
Mock and Tuten continued to connect throughout the competition, with Mock often running freely through zone defenses.