Russell Christian Academy’s season opener against Tuscaloosa Christian is scheduled for Aug. 20 at home, and it can’t come quickly enough.

“They’re ready to hit someone else now,” RCA head football coach Andy Braddock said. “They’ve hit on each other the last two weeks.”

The Warriors have been hosting summer practices mid afternoon to get acclimated to the heat ahead of what is always a sweltering couple of months at the beginning of the fall season. Winners of four straight Alabama Christian Education Association eight-man football state championships, RCA will look to retool and keep the streak alive, and Braddock said he’s been pleased with what he’s seen during summer workouts.

“The guys are getting after it,” Braddock said. “It’s been hot so far, and they’re getting through it. We have a good group this year. We had six starters on one side of the ball or the other graduate, so we have a lot of important positions to fill this year, but we have a lot of guys stepping up and doing a good job so far.”

Senior quarterback Micah Taylor said summer workouts have been difficult due to the intense weight room activities and the drills done in the heat, but he knows they’ll pay off when the season begins.

“I feel like we’re becoming a lot closer, and we’ve held each other accountable,” Taylor said.

Taylor is one of this year’s seniors for the Warriors who is stepping to fill those leadership roles from last year’s squad, which was a team Braddock admired for its unselfishness. He said he’s seeing that same unselfishness in this year’s group.

“We have some good seniors out here that are leading this year,” Braddock said. “Micah Taylor and Barrett Harwell are stepping up and leading, and everyone has bought into the weight room. No one complains about how many sprints we have to run, and they stay fired up through practice. They’re the kind of kids you’re eager to coach.”

Harwell, who plays right guard, credited the coaching staff for their leadership as well.

“They’ve been pushing us to be in a lot better shape than the other teams we play, and they’ve added some new drills this summer,” Harwell said. “It’s been really hot, but we just have to keep on keeping on.”

One of those drills is an offensive line routine when a coach stands five yards away from the line of scrimmage with a tennis ball in his hand. The linemen take their stances, then the ball drops, and they immediate lunge forward with the goal of not letting the ball bounce on the ground a second time.

“It’s really good for our timing,” Harwell explained.

It’s one of many reasons why Harwell believes the Warriors will be more than ready for whatever challenges they face this fall.

“I think we’ll definitely surprise some people,” Harwell said. “I know we lost a lot of big players we had, and me and Micah are the biggest ones on the team (this year), but our guys are fast. We just have to work together and each do our part.”

Even with some newer faces taking over starting roles, Taylor said he isn’t worried about a drop-off in production.

“The guys have been stepping up,” Taylor said. “Our receivers have really good hands, and our offensive line has gotten a lot bigger in the weight room. Defensively, we’re ready to hit someone, and I think we’ll be a really good defensive team.”

The only way to find out is to start the season, and Taylor said he’s itching to take the field for his final high school season opener as a senior.

“I love it,” Taylor said. “It’s my favorite time of the year.”