WAPATO -- Sure, we're all looking forward to football season.
A balmy Friday night with two rival high schools clashing under the lights, or a jam-packed living room holding its collective breath as Sam Darnold's arcing deep ball drops from the clouds toward Cooper Kupp's outstretched hands. The new football year will bring plenty of reason to cheer from the sideline, grandstand or couch. And many, from player, to coach, to face-painted fan, would say they're excited for the return of America's favorite sport. But would you put your money where your mouthguard is?
Photos and Videos PHOTOS: Wapato football players begin season with midnight practice EVAN ABELL Yakima Herald-Republic
Would you start the season at the very first allowable second?
At the stroke of midnight Wednesday on Wapato High's Dan Doornink Field, it wasn't just talk.
The Wolves strapped on their helmets for what's become a tradition under fourth-year coach Ray Reyes: practice that starts at 12:01 a.m. of the first day the WIAA allows for the pre-season to begin.
"After one season ends, we always look forward to this day," junior lineman Nathan Gutierrez said. "It's one of our favorite days of the year."
Wednesday marks the first day of practice for the Valley's prep football teams, while girls soccer, volleyball, cross country, girls swimming and slowpitch softball practices start Monday.
In the gym at 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Wolves had a snack and talked about the upcoming season before moving players from station to station in groups to record height and weight and measure their broad jump, max bench press and 40-yard dash time.
On the field during Wednesday's first minutes, Hot 99.7 blared through the stadium's sound system and cars zipping by on U.S. Highway 97 honked as the Wolves stretched. After a lengthy warmup and conditioning period, the Wolves moved between up-tempo tackling drills scored by Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso." After practice, players rolled out sleeping bags in the gym as coaches became chaperones before turning the kids loose at 7 a.m.
For senior runningback/linebacker Mathias McConville, the evening is a great chance to build relationships with younger players joining the program.
"It brings the team together and everyone gets to know each other," McConville, who enjoys the loose feeling of the after-hours practice, said. "I like when we start practice and everyone's just joking around out there. It's fun, and different than during the day."
Reyes, a 2004 Wapato grad, borrowed the idea of a midnight practice from former Toppenish coach Jason Smith. Though the Wildcats gave up the tradition, Reyes, then an offensive assistant for Smith, filed the idea away for when he was a head coach. Inheriting a program that had won five games in seven seasons, Reyes knew he needed to work hard to build a more positive culture around the team.
"The program needed love; it was difficult to get these kids to buy in and want to be here," Reyes said. "We gotta make it fun for these guys or they're not going to want to stick around."
There are signs of meaningful progress, even if the accomplishments seem modest to some. Reyes' Wolves have posted back-to-back three-win seasons, the best two-year stretch for the program since 2005-06. That includes a 54-14 win over Naches Valley last October, Wapato's first league win since 2014.
"My freshman year, we were undisciplined; everyone was new, and we didn't really take it serious," senior wide receiver/linebacker Jacob Bobb said. "But we've learned how to grow and learn from our coaches. We want to change the mindset of football around here."
A growing Wapato youth football program is feeding more energized and experienced players to the high school ranks, and more than 50 Wolves were on the field Wednesday morning. That turnout is gratifying for Reyes, who has struggled in years past to have players squared away to start the season on time due to missing a required physical and a variety of other reasons.
Handing over offensive play calling duties to former Toppenish wide receiver Manuel Felan, Reyes has more time to focus on his executive responsibilities as the program's leader. And he knows that Tuesday night and Wednesday morning wasn't strictly about preparing for Sept. 5's season opener at 1A power Cashmere.
"What, six teams win a state title? Of course we want to win, but it's about building character in individuals," Reyes said. "Helping turn these kids into young men who are going to be productive members of our society. The winning will come if we can do that."