Orange County football squads take the field

Mark Dunn- For The Record

Day One of the 2015 high school football season Monday morning found Orange County teams hustling in the Southeast Texas heat.

The Bridge City Cardinals, Orangefield Bobcats, Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears, West Orange Stark-Mustangs and Vidor Pirates all hit the field early before temperatures climbed up to 90 in the annual ritual once known as “two-a-days.”

In Bridge City the season kicked off at 6:45 a.m. to usher in a new era for the Cardinals. Incoming head football coach Dwayne DuBois stepped onto the practice field amid a flurry of enthusiastic Cardinals eager to get the season underway.

The ritual is taking place all over Texas where high school football is king.

According to rules of the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school athletics, teams must hold practices without pads for the first four days of the week.

No contact activities are permitted until Friday. The LCM Bears and the WOS Mustangs have scheduled practices at midnight to get a jump on the season. The first day scrimmages can be held is Aug. 14.

The regular season gets underway on Aug. 28. Bridge City will take on Kirbyville on the road. The Orangefield Bobcats will host Buna. The LCM Bears and the WOS Mustangs will meet at Dan R. Hooks Stadium.