By Byron Beers/Sports Editor

Putting on their pads for the first time Friday, the El Reno Indians completed the first week of football practice with mixed results.

Third-year head coach Dal Nichols saw a lot of things he liked, but also knows where his team needs to make improvements before their season opener on Sept. 1 against Western Heights.

The Indians also survived the week with no heat-related problems.

“Overall, I am pretty pleased with the way things are going at this point,” Nichols said.

“We are improving and getting better with each practice and the coaching staff is doing a great job with the kids.

“I always think we can do better, but I have to keep telling myself that we have had only four days of practice.

“We’ve done a great job of giving the kids plenty of water breaks every 10 minutes. We encourage them to get hydrated before practice with Gatorade and even afterward.”

Consistency is one area that Nichols feels his teams needs to get better.

“We looked like a million dollars on the first day, but then there are times when we fall off a bit,” he said. “It’s been a hot and cold thing since we started and it’s just a matter of consistency, but we can correct those things.”

Two key areas that Nichols has seen a lot of progress is at the quarterback and wide receiver positions.

Senior Cory Powell and sophomore Colby Hudson continue to compete for a starting spot at quarterback, and the Indians must replace several players at receiver.

“I think we can win with either one of those kids at quarterback,” Nichols stated. “Both are starting to get at where we never miss a beat.”

“They help each other out and there’s not a whole lot of difference mechanically with them. I feel comfortable with either one of them as my starting quarterback.

“Our wide receiver core has been really good with catching the ball. We have good depth there and some kids are really stepping up for us.” According to Nichols, it’s the offensive line where the Indians need to make the most improvements.

Billy Jo Dyer and Brian Gatz have been working at the tackle positions, while Montell Williams is getting looks at both center and guard. Ryan Marshall is another candidate at the guard spot.

“I am still worried about the offensive line and it’s still a question mark for us,” Nichols said. “We just have to see how the kids will respond when we start getting more physical.”

“Our depth is an issue there. We are just going to have to move some kids around and find out what works best.

“The offensive line will take the longest to gel. We are having some growing pains, but I expected that.”

Defensively, Nichols has liked what he has seen from what is a more experienced group.

“We are right where I thought we would be on defense,” he said. “We have looked great there and are ahead of progress.”

“We are moving in the right direction and we will count on our defense to carry us early on.”