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Acclimation period places focus on core systems, team culture
The Wildcats opened fall football practice Aug. 3 and kicked off preparations for the 2026 season with the University Interscholastic League’s required four-day acclimation period.
Under UIL guidelines, players are limited to helmets and other non-contact equipment for the first four sessions before progressing to full-pad workouts. The acclimation period is designed to help student athletes safely adjust to the Texas heat, and coaches say it gives them the chance to work through offensive, defensive and special team systems before incorporating the physicality of preseason camp.
For Elgin Head Coach Rich Lucero, the first week of practice is about building a foundation that will carry the Wildcats through the season.
“It’s all new — we have to put in new defensive schemes, and we have a new offensive coordinator,” Lucero said. “The biggest thing is how we practice. It gives us that week just being in helmets and T-shirts where we can introduce everything to our players and staff.”
The opening week also provides an opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate how players return after an offseason of strength and conditioning.
“It will also be big to see where our kids are coming out of the summer,” Lucero said. “I just want to see where we are with our conditioning. Hopefully it’s better than last year.”
Elgin enters the season with a new offensive coordinator in Sean Van De Merghel, who is known for running an uptempo, high-scoring offense.
Lucero said he plans to break in a new starting quarterback, but the Wildcats’ approach during fall camp is to focus on mastering the fundamentals and avoid overwhelming the young talent with too much information.
“Just keeping things simple,” Lucero said. “A lot of times you get carried away and try to put too much on someone’s shoulders. It’s really about installing your base scheme … mastering the fundamentals of each position and what we believe in.”
Lucero said those fundamentals extend far beyond the playbook.
The Wildcats have placed a major emphasis on blocking, protecting the ball and avoiding costly mistakes before the snap — areas that often decide close football games, according to Lucero.
“We really take the time to establish that mindset that everyone needs to block and be unselfish,” he said. “Then the discipline part of it, not beating ourselves with pre-snap penalties.”
Lucero said he believes the biggest difference from a year ago is the program’s stability, despite the on-field changes. He has now had a full offseason to establish the culture he envisioned.
“Overall, our culture is what’s going to carry us,” Lucero said. “We built that, and it’s real and it’s tangible.”
The coach added the players aim to be leaders in the classroom, as well as on the field. The roster was involved in several community service and outreach events over the summer and take ownership of being student athletes — not just athletes.
“We’re building a selfless culture where we’re not just worried about winning football games,” he said.
This preseason also marks the first year schools across Texas are operating under the UIL’s new wet-bulb temperature regulations, which require schools to monitor environmental conditions every 15 to 30 minutes during outdoor practices.
Depending on readings, schools may be required to modify workouts, increase rest breaks or move practices indoors.
Elgin is well-positioned to handle those changes after completing a new 70-yard indoor practice facility during the offseason. The site allows the Wildcats to conduct full practices inside when weather conditions make outdoor workouts unsafe, ensuring they can stay on schedule without sacrificing valuable practice time.
As preseason camp continues, Lucero said his biggest goal isn’t measured by wins or statistics but by how connected the team becomes before the first week arrives.
“I think the big thing is being aligned in all three phases and having team unity,” Lucero said. “I think that is the secret sauce … I want to get everyone moving in the same direction. If we can do that, I like our chances.”
The Wildcats will continue preseason workouts before hosting Cedar Creek in their first scrimmage at 7 p.m. Aug. 14.
