SPEARFISH - The pads are not on yet but the determination and desire are for the Black Hills State University football team which had its first full fall football practice Friday in Spearfish.

First-year head coach Jay Long is preparing his Yellow Jackets for their season opener Sept. 5 against Southwest Minnesota State. Determining just who is more excited for that first game is a little harder to tell.

"I told the guys and I told the freshmen about the newness and freshness and about halfway through I told them I was feeling these same things," Long said. "It was so easy to tell them what we are going through and what we are going to do, but I do know one thing when we hit the field we will be using our effort and going forward.

"Even though it is my first year it is still football. I have been training to become a head football coach and that is the same thing with our incoming freshmen because it is still football."

Long has 88 players in camp which will run with two-a-days for the next four days - with pads added to the equation on Saturday - before the practice schedule will be re-evaluated from there.

"The guys like to be out here for the first day because they get to run around and get back to playing some football," Long said. "But they are football players because they like to hit. So when they put on the pads that will bring another intensity level."

The Yellow Jackets spent much of the morning practice broken into position drills with Long working with an experienced offensive line that returns every starter from a season ago.

"I was at a summer camp and I remember a coach was talking about having three seniors on his line and how he could hang out for one more year and coach the young guys," Long said. "It is huge because the continuity they have and they know what I expect."

Much of the rest of the team has at least one key veteran returning to lead the younger players, and that is something Long is expecting to happen early and often.

"The veterans know what the tempo is and right now we are teaching the younger guys what the tempo is," Long said. "We are going to be young at certain positions so what those kids have to do is learn how to practice at a varsity tempo, and that is what we are doing with our first couple of days."

Nowhere on the field will experience be needed more at wide receiver where all-conference performer Corey Wheeler is the only pass catcher back with significant experience.

However, quarterback Drew Hodgs is entering his third season under center and expects to have a good rhythm with his receivers by the time the first game rolls around.

"We have to have that rhythm or you are not going to have a good season," Hodgs said. "We brought in a few players that will help out and we really have a lot of receivers that will play in different situations. The whole freshman crew has really come in and been impressive."

Coming off a 6-4 campaign from a season ago, the Yellow Jackets are looking to rebound not only to the top of the Dakota Athletic Conference, but get their new head coach off on the right foot.

"Our expectations are high this year and coach Long does a great job of motivating the team," Hodgs said. "With a new head coach there is a new excitement and you always want to have his back. Our expectations are high and we want to win. The DAC championship is always a goal."