NEWMAN - One week down and many more to go.

The Orestimba High School football team started practices for the upcoming season on Aug. 3, which was the official day all grid programs in the Sac-Joaquin Section could begin.

Warriors head coach Austin Martins and his coaching staff took smaller and then bigger steps in having their players on all levels - varsity and the junior varsity/freshmen - in beginning practices.

“It was a good start last week,” Martins said. “We just have to keep going after it.”

For the first three days, and per the section and California Interscholastic Federation, which is the governing body for high school athletics in the Golden State, high school football programs were only allowed to practice in helmets, plus T-shirts and shorts starting on Aug. 3.

“I thought we had high intensity,” Martins said. “It was good to see guys get after it, That is what I told the team (after one of the practices last week).”

Martins noted that his offensive and defensive linemen had a higher intensity level in both wearing helmets and then moving up to the helmets and shoulder pads.

“It was full temple, full speed,” Martins said. “It was awesome to see.”

Then on Aug. 6, football teams could conduct full contact in full pads or just shoulder pads. Orestimba went with helmets and shoulder pads only on Aug. 6-7.

Martins said his teams are planning to go full-contact drills on Monday.

“We’ll see how much we will do full pads this week,” Martins said. “I know, for sure, the first couple of days.”

Per CIF bylaws, high school football teams on all levels are only allowed a maximum of 18 hours per week during the season that includes non-league, league/conference and playoffs.

Martins believes how practices go in the early stages leading into the beginning of the season usually dictates if his team will go full pads or just shoulder pads and helmets.

“If we have guys that are banged up or whatever the case is, I’m a big guy where I don’t believe you have to go full pads all the time,” Martins said.

Evening workouts

Because of the triple-digit temperatures that hit the Central Valley and region for half of last week, Orestimba started its practices at 6 p.m.

Wednesday is the first day of school for Orestimba. Martins plans to start practices at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday.

The students have a minimum day schedule on the first day but would be going full days starting on Thursday.

The Warriors will open the season against Westside rival Gustine in the annual Battle for the Chief on Friday, Aug. 28.

Then Orestimba will have back-to-back, non-league home games against Grace Davis of Modesto and Livingston. Then it closes out the preseason at former Southern Athletic League foe Waterford.

Mike Bush is a multimedia journalist who was born and raised in the Stanislaus and Merced County areas. Follow him on X/Twitter @MikeBMultimedia and Instagram @mikebushmedia.