When Ray Gates was hired at North Crowley, he knew the team would not participate in spring practice.
Gates believed skipping spring ball would give his players their best chance to prepare for the season.
Under UIL rules, Texas high school football teams that opt out of spring training, an 18-day period, are allowed to begin full-contact practices and interschool scrimmages a week earlier in the fall.
This year, Aug. 9 was the first day of full-contact activities, and Aug. 14 will be the first day of interschool scrimmages.
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Gates said he values giving everyone on the roster a chance to shine in live competition.
“It allows us to play a lot more guys early in scrimmages and evaluate guys in meaningful snaps,” Gates said during North Crowley’s practice Monday. “Spring ball gets to a point where, after the first week, the luster kind of falls off. You pull out your guys who can play for you, and they don’t get a lot of work during that time.”
More Dallas-area programs appear to be making the same choice, increasing their fall workload. Coaches such as Gates have a consistent stance, while others decide on a year-to-year basis.
North Crowley also has several new move-ins before this season, but Gates said that didn’t factor into his decision.
“We don’t structure anything based on that,” Gates said. “Our philosophy has nothing to do with a kid moving in. That’s outside our control. We’ve been fortunate and blessed to build a program. When you look around our campus, there are new facilities going up, and with the growth in this area, naturally you’re going to have people move in.”
Photos: Defending state champ North Crowley hits practice field for first time ahead of 2025 season
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Riley Dodge’s decision came down to Southlake Carroll returning 19 starters from last year’s Class 6A Division II state runner-up team. He said veteran experience and ongoing facility upgrades made skipping spring practice logical this year.
“It just kind of made sense,” the coach said after Monday morning’s practice.
Dodge said fall practice gave his staff a better look at how players’ bodies changed in the offseason. Defensive back William Chen, a Brown commitment, said most starters on defense gained at least 10 pounds.
Wide receiver Brock Boyd, an Ohio State pledge, said he prefers the fall schedule.
“Being able to get the two scrimmages, then by Week 1 it feels like you’ve already played two games,” Boyd said. “You’re kind of getting into that rhythm. I think it allows us to start hot out of the gate, and we’re already through so many installs.”
Returning quarterback Angelo Renda also factored into Dodge’s decision. The Pittsburgh pledge passed for 4,566 yards and 54 touchdowns last season as Carroll went 15-1.
“We’ll cross that bridge the following year when we’ll be a lot younger,” Dodge said. “Bringing in a new quarterback is also a driver of the decision. But I think we got a lot done even without spring ball.”
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