Hitmas Day – the first football practice with contact – will be Aug. 7, and Davie coach Devore Holman is inviting the community to come out and support. The event will start with a ceremony around the Hitmas Tree on the practice field at 6 p.m.

“We would love to have as many fans as possible there at the tree to observe and hear the ceremony,” Bob Donley of the booster club said.

Then players and fans will move to the stadium, where contact drills will be held. In addition to the varsity and jayvee football teams, the event will include cheerleaders, dancing boots, flag corps and the marching band.

After practice ends, the position groups will be introduced to the fans, and fans will be invited on the field to meet the players. The event is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., and the Davie Athletic Booster Club will have a concession area open with drinks, hotdogs and chips. The booster club will have membership forms available for season tickets, reserved seats and parking passes.

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Holman called the first official practice on Aug. 1 a success.

“Man, it was awesome seeing those young men work, getting after it, doing the drills and flying around,” he said. “It takes a little bit of time with the young puppies to get them to understand the tempo and the pace. But I like that process, because you’ll see them now, then you’ll watch them next week and they will catch on.”

Around 90 kids were present. “We were missing a few for this reason or that reason,” he said. “I think when it’s all said and done we’re going to have about 100.”

Holman has not added any new coaches of late, but the program – and all sports programs at the school – has a new athletic trainer in David Riegel, who has joined the PE Department at the high school.