Friday Night Lights for local football teams and their loyal fans are not that far away and already the Oak Harbor Wildcats and the Wolfpack from Coupeville are making preparations for the upcoming season.

The first three days of practice must be non-contact, but that doesn’t prevent the young men from working out in helmets and shorts during two-a-day drills.

Conditioning to get players in shape and to work out all the accumulated kinks since the last time the kids set foot on the gridiron are a major part of early-season practice sessions. Every Day Drills or EDDs as they are known to players and coaches are a trial, especially when the weather is warm, but tough conditioning turns boys into men and quickly separates the football players from the wannabes.

“We have a lot of players returning this year we and are anticipating a successful 2006 season,” Coupeville head coach Ron Bagby said.

Oak Harbor coach Dave Ward has had the team working out once a day since Wednesday, with the grueling two-a-day sessions kicking off today at the Wildcats practice facility.

The Wildcats are also looking forward to another good year, a league championship and a return to the state playoffs.

Oak Harbor opens the season Sept. 1 hosting Marysville Pilchuck, while Coupeville is on the road at LaConnor. The Wolves play their first game at home on Sept. 8 squaring off against Concrete. All games kickoff at 7 p.m.