Wolverines Keepin' Cool as Football Camp Opens

Most high school football teams are going through two grueling workouts each day this week, one in the morning and the other in the mid-afternoon in preparation for the 2012 season. The Aliso Niguel Wolverines hold their pre-season workouts during the early evening hours when the weather is about 20 degrees cooler and a slight breeze slices through the 60 percent humidity.

Besides, most teams play in the evening, not during the day.

“It’s kind of nice out here with that breeze,” commented Wolverines third-year head coach Kurt Westling while watching his players getting gassed by running 100-yard wind sprints.

But don’t be confused. Just because the players weren’t practicing in near 100 degree weather this week doesn’t mean they weren’t sweating bullets or not getting in shape. With only 10 days between the end of summer passing league, weightlifting and conditioning, and the official start to the season, there wasn't a lot of time to get out of shape.

“I got three days of vacation this summer,” snickered Westling, who spent it camping with his family. “There are no summers off anymore.”

Westling and his coaching staff greeted 104 varsity and junior varsity players this week. About 60 will play varsity, a slight increase from last season when the Wolverines went 7-4 overall, winning five of their first six games and their last two in the Sea View League, and playing in the first-round of the CIF Division VI playoffs against eventual champion Tustin.

Aliso Niguel returns 14 starters from last season so optimism abounds. After three days of three-hour workouts this week, the Wolverines’ players put on the pads for the first time Thursday.