Central Valley High School's football program had a productive summer.
Returning and prospective Hawk players dedicated time to weight training and conditioning, executing offensive and defensive plays, and 7-on-7 passing competition.
"Learning took place," head coach Scott Edwards sad. "I'm happy."
"Everybody worked hard," senior safety/running back Estevan Barragan added.
Practices were staged on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Central Valley.
Sessions were broken into three phases: 45 minutes of weight training, 45 minutes of offensive work and 45 minutes of defensive work.
"You got to be as efficient as you can," Edwards said.
On Wednesdays, Central Valley battled Grace Davis, Modesto Christian, Ripon, Sierra and Sonora during 7-on-7 passing league play.
"We used it as teaching time," Edwards said. "The best thing I like to get out of it is your secondary work. You're getting reps covering the pass. Offensively, you develop timing. I don't put a lot of stock into the amount of touchdowns scored in that environment."
Central Valley enjoyed its best season to date last fall.
The Hawks posted a 9-2 overall record, annexed their first conference crown (5-0) and participated in the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Central Valley beat Patterson for the first time in seven meetings.
The Hawks also improved their head-to-head record versus the crosstown Bulldogs to 9-2.
"We can't worry about what we did last year," Edwards said. "It's a new team. We're going to put the best product we can out there. The door is open for new people to step into roles both playing and as leaders."
Central Valley will compete with a revamped lineup in 2017.
The Hawks lost eight starters on both offense and defense to graduation.
"Every year is an undertaking," Edwards said. "This year has been pretty extensive. We're moving guys around a lot and putting them in positions they've never played before. I'm trying to figure out what type of personality we're going to have. That's one of the funnest parts of coaching."
