RAYMOND – It’s hot out there. For the Central Hinds Academy Cougars, it’s really hot.

Veteran coach Kenny Granberry had the Cougars out for their afternoon practice at 3:45 on Tuesday.

“No one has died yet, but this is some kinduva heat,” Granberry said while the Cougars jogged over for a quick waterbreak.

Granberry said that 34 players reported to pre-season drills that began Monday. Central Hinds is coming off a solid 2004 season, winning the District 3-AA title and finishing 8-4 after a first-round playoff exit.

The Cougars should benefit from a huge senior class.

“We have 19 seniors which should mean a lot of positives for this season but a lot of negatives for next year.”

With such an experienced team coming back, Granberry said the Cougars don’t have any major holes to fill in the first two weeks of work.

“We know the names and where they’re supposed to be. We just need to get more consistent. We need to get a little tougher.”

The hot afternoon workouts could do the trick. So could a tough early-season scrimmage set for Aug. 5 at CHA.

“We’ve got Simpson Academy and (Jackson Academy) coming out here on the fifth. It’s going to be a real, informal scrimmage,” he said. The three-team scrimmage will conclude the first week in full pads for the Cougars.

On Aug. 11, the Cougars will play in a preseason jamboree at Copiah Academy.

Granberry confirmed the Cougars have a new season opening opponent in Oak Hill Academy out of West Point. The Cougars were set to open at University Christian, but the MPSA kicked out Grawood Christian School and Plain Dealing Academy out of Louisiana.

Over at Rebul Academy, new coach Paul Kirchharr welcomed 15 varsity players for the start of the Raiders’ preseason practice that began Monday.

Because of his late arrival in taking the job at the District 4-A school, Kirchharr said the Raiders are pretty far behind.

“We’re going to do a lot on fundamentals. We’re pretty weak,” Kirchharr said. “We’re in a tough conference with Porters Chapel and Sharkey. We just hope to be competitive.”

The Raiders will not play a second week scrimmage nor a jamboree in the third week. They open the season on Aug. 19 at home against Union Academy.

“The positive is that nobody gets hurt but the negative is you don’t know what you’ve got because you’re not in a game,” he said.

“Most of the scrimmages and such are set in the spring and I got in here late. I’m just wanting to get players out. We should have 19, when they all get here.”

Meanwhile, in the Delta, second-year Sharkey-Issaquena coach Cori Britt said the Confederates had 13 varsity and 18 junior varsity players report for preseason workouts at the Rolling Fork school.

“We’re going to move up six of our ninth graders to the varsity team so that’ll give us 19,” Britt said. SIA was 6-5 last year, finishing third in District 4-A with a 3-2 mark.

The Confederates will host a scrimmage on Aug. 5 when Tallulah Academy visits. SIA will play in a jamboree on Aug. 12 at Deer Creek.