LaFAYETTE  — The Bulldogs are back at work.

The LaFayette football team finished Wednesday morning’s workout with a full sprint down 3rd Place Northeast across the street from the school. Head football coach James Lucas then gathered the players into a huddle to recap the morning and remind the team about its 7-on-7 play date at Auburn University on Thursday.

“We’re starting to come along a lot faster than what I expected with new guys joining the crew,” Lucas said. “We have a senior-oriented football team this year so they already the procedure and how things work. I like this group of guys because they work hard for each other. There’s no ‘I, I, I, me, me, me,’ it’s ‘us.’ It’s about the team, family. That’s what we told them, we’re a family.”

The skill players will participate in 7-on-7s while the linemen will work on drills at Auburn University. The majority of the varsity roster is expected to be there, with multi-sport athletes senior Jordan Walker and sophomore Antavious Woody missing Thursday’s basketball play date at Valley High School for the football event.

“We’ll get a chance to compete with other schools in the state of Alabama to see where we  really stand and see what we really need to work on to get ready for August.”

Senior Keandrae Peterson, senior Kel Turner, senior Dai’quan Giddens, junior JaMariae Daniel and Walker were listed by Lucas as the standouts in workouts so far this summer.

“They’re all stepping forward and doing the things well by leading,” Lucas said. “[They’re] helping the young guys comprehend what’s going on, what’s happening in the weight room. We have a good workout every morning. It’s special because you see these guys and they don’t complain, they don’t whine, they just get it done. That’s a special team. I’ve been around teams like that from my earlier years of coaching, and I know what it brings. It brings that family hood and that comradery of those guys believing and taking care of each other. That’s what we want.”

Giddens recently received his first offer from Faulkner University. The 6-foot-1 middle linebacker returns this season as a key defensive player for LaFayette.

“He knows the game forwards and backward, inside out,” Lucas said. “He’s a very good athlete, he doesn’t talk back, he does what you ask him to do and he gives 100 percent effort. That’s all you can ask for in any linebacker that you have. I’m very proud of him, and I told him that his senior year is the one that goes by the fastest. They [seniors] don’t have to work out anymore on June 12 in high school after this workout, and they just eat it up. It’s good to have seniors that know what’s going on, understand your program and push the young guys.”

Assistant football coach Micheal Pattillo was recently appointed to become LaFayette High School’s new assistant principal. After Wednesday’s workout, Pattillo warned the players that he wouldn’t treat any student-athletes different in regards to discipline and advised them to stay out of trouble.

“Coach P’s been around me since I’ve been here, and he’s been such a helping hand of getting aware of the situation of the community, the people and how things work,” Lucas said. “Having him as an assistant principal over here is adding a piece to our puzzle of LaFayette High School to be able to help out Coach [and principal] Don Turner out, who has done a tremendous job here of getting us off the failing school’s list, getting the faculty and staff to work together. He’s just an added person that God has sent to help us out, and we respect him because he’s a part of our family. The guys needed to hear from what his expectations are.”

The Bulldogs return home to host a 7-on-7 with Loachapoka on June 20 at noon EDT.