Although the fall season is nearly three months away, the Farmer football team can still be seen working through intense drills and conditioning after most students have left.

Even with finals looming over their heads, players from both campuses have been improving their game and proving they have what it takes.

“Everyone has ample opportunities to demonstrate what they can do in practice,” head coach Dick Olin said.

The urgency of the fall season is not as strong during spring, letting the coaches thoroughly teach players and find the levels each can play to.

“That’s the whole purpose of spring,” Olin said. “If you didn’t have spring, you’d have to start [practice] a week earlier.”

After losing two-year starting quarterback Deandre Grimes [transferred to Duncanville], Olin is considering replacements in sophomores Cory Duran and David Vasquez, and freshman Matt McDougal.

“[Duran] is a great leader, and he has a really good relationship with his receivers,” Olin said.

But Duran- a pitcher for the varsity baseball team- said it’s not easy to gain “starter” status.

“You have to work hard on and off the field, and have good chemistry with your team mates,” Duran said.

Meanwhile, Olin said he thinks the team will move on smoothly without Grimes.

“Every single year, in every single sport, there are surprises and disappointments,” Olin said. “We’d rather focus on the surprises. The disappointments, you’re always gonna have them, so you don’t focus on them.

“There’s enough to worry about with the kids you have on hand. You just deal with whatever you got and move on.”

Olin said that defense is a Farmer strong suit.

Some key defenders include sophomores Hendrick Ekpe, DJ Johnson, Tyus Williams, juniors Scott Ekpe, Caleb Hughes, John Schuster and freshman Joseph Head.

Olin said strength coach Levi Memmer has been very beneficial in increasing endurance and physical ability.

“He can do more for our athletic program than anybody [Lewisville has] ever hired,” Olin said.

Memmer said he believes that self-control and pushing personal boundaries is the way to improve a player’s game.

“You can get stronger a million different ways,” Memmer said. “But the discipline, attention to detail, and moving outside your comfort zone is the main emphasis we work on.”

Olin said he likes seeing Memmer’s practices focused and to the point.

“He can see it all,” Olin said.

Summer break has a different meaning to football players than other students.

They must spend time practicing outside to acclimate themselves to the heat.

“I know that there was a time where, in the summertime, everyone just took off,” Olin said. “You can’t do that anymore if you want to compete.

“The kids have to do something during the summer in order to be ready for the fall.”

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, “There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in win.”

This quote stuck with Olin.

“We’re trying to convey ‘I am important as far as winning is concerned,’” Olin said. “The individual is extremely important where winning is concerned. If people don’t buy into that, you’re not gonna win.”