High school football camp kicks off

High school football teams all over southwest Florida hit the ground running for day one of fall camp today, including two of Collier County’s strongest programs.

Rain or shine there’s work to be done. Monday saw a bit of both.

Fortunately for the Naples Golden Eagles, they got some work in before storms hit Collier County.

But if lightning strikes, head coach Rick Martin has plenty for his team to do indoors.

“It always helps to be out here but we have a plan when it storms,” said Rick Martin, Naples’ Head Football Coach. “In Southwest Florida, August or September, it’s always a thing. We’ll either go do film work or maybe get to the gym and do some steps or something like that.”

It’s film and walkthroughs at First Baptist during a storm as well.

The Lions took advantage of their time on the field as soon as their first lightning alert was lifted Monday evening.

But it wasn’t long before the sirens sounded again.

It’s a bummer for the players who are excited to get to work, but head coach Billy Sparacio doesn’t mind working around the weather because there’s plenty to be taught off the field.

“A lot of what we do goes beyond the football field and into the character and really trying to teach these kids what it is to follow Jesus,” said Billy Sparacio, First Baptist Head Football Coach “So football is our platform that we get to do those things.”

Hopefully, the teams will take the field lightning-free for the majority of the fall camp.