GUSTINE, Calif – Collin Lane is counting the hours and minutes.
The Gustine High football head coach and his squad will officially start the first practice of the season on Monday at 12:01 a.m. at the school’s stadium. This is the fourth consecutive year the Reds will hold their first practice of the season just after midnight.
“Most of the community knows that we do this,” Lane said. “We do it every first practice of the year. The mindset is that we want to be the first to start and the last to stop in November.”
Gustine posted a 5-7 record during the 2024 season. The Reds beat Golden Sierra of Garden Valley 21-18 in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football – Division VII home game. Summerville defeated the Reds the following week en route to winning the D-VII, CIF State NorCal 6-A and state 6-A titles. The Bears also captured the Mother Lode League crown.
Lane said there were 35 players who were in the weight room after the dead period last week, which was observed from July 1-14.
During the dead period, student athletes in the section were allowed to get together amongst themselves but no coaches, paid and volunteers were not to be present. Student athletes could still train, condition, and compete in club sports if it is of their free will and won’t put them in contact with their high school coaches.
The section passed the dead period bylaw in January 2024.
Prep football squads can officially start practices on Monday. Other fall sports teams can begin practices entering early August.
Gustine and Orestimba (7-5 overall during the 2024 football season) will open the season against each other in the season opener at Warrior Stadium on Friday, Aug. 22.
After its Westside rivalry opener, Gustine will play Millennium of Tracy, Riverbank and Yosemite in preseason. The Reds will start Southern Athletic League action against Mariposa on Friday, Sept. 19.
Orestimba will play Grace Davis of Modesto, LeGrand and Freedom of Oakley in preseason before beginning its second season in the Trans-Valley League on Friday, Sept. 26 hosting Sonora (13-2 in 2024).
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.
