KINGDOM CITY, Mo. - North Callaway head football coach Kevin O'Neal was thinking about the self-preservation of his Thunderbirds.
With the health of his squad in mind for the upcoming 2017 season, O'Neal decided to keep the Thunderbirds at home to train this summer. Thirty-three North Callaway players reported for the first day of fall practice Monday night.
Coming off a 7-3 record last year, the Thunderbirds concentrated on the weight room this summer and also hosted 7-on-7 workouts with the Fulton Hornets. North Callaway then conducted its own team camp over a two-week period in July, taking a brief break near the end of the month for the Missouri State High School Activities Association dead period.
"A big part of it (decision to stay home for the summer) was injuries - I wanted my kids fresh all summer," said O'Neal, who is starting his fourth season in directing the Thunderbirds. "Sometimes when you go to those team camps you get beat up for three days.
"You find out a lot about kids, but I'm trying to keep it here and keep it focused."
O'Neal was excited by the effort shown over the summer by a consistent core group of about 15 players.
"I can't say enough about those guys," O'Neal said before Wednesday night's practice. " They worked their tails off all summer. I was very pleased with the progress that they made.
"Hopefully we'll see it on Friday nights (this season)."
North Callaway players worked out in helmets and shorts for the first two days of practice, before donning shoulder pads for the first time Wednesday night. O'Neal and his coaching staff devoted a majority of time in those early workouts to proper technique details, footwork drills and conditioning.
"We're making sure we're paying attention to the little things and fixing those right now," O'Neal said. "Putting pads on allows you to get a little more contact in and do a couple of more things there.
"We're going to find out who can actually move some people and who likes to hit, and who likes to play football."
O'Neal appreciates the dogged attitude his squad has shown this week.
"I made the comment (Tuesday) night that we got done with conditioning, and we ran them pretty hard these first two days - they weren't dropping out and they weren't giving up," O'Neal said. "They were pushing themselves. It's a very good atmosphere this year."
Like Zack Hess, his counterpart at South Callaway, O'Neal is concerned by lean roster totals. His target number is also at least 40 players, averaging 10 per class.
"In talking to other coaches, too, numbers are down," O'Neal said.
With the season opener two weeks from tonight at home against Southern Boone, O'Neal understands that preparation time is particularly critical.
"We have, I would say, 75 percent of our offense installed and ready to go," O'Neal said. "Defensively, they're picking up right where they left off (last season). We've got a lot of kids returning on the defensive side."
O'Neal endured .500 records in his first two seasons with the Thunderbirds, before last season's improvement, and he intends for that progress to continue.
"You have to have high expectations for your kids," O'Neal said. "Like I said, we've got a good core returning, we've got some very solid skill-position guys. We've got to bring some linemen along, that's probably the biggest place where we have to replace guys."
Notes: North Callaway returns to Central Methodist University for a second straight year for jamboree scrimmages Friday, Aug. 11. The Thunderbirds will play against host Fayette, Harrisburg and Slater.