New field, same Dons.

After a summer of anticipation as their new field was being installed, the Acalanes Dons have returned to camp and have started off the era of their new field with high ambition.

Here are five takeaways from Acalanes’ fifth day of training camp.

Team is miles ahead from last year at start of camp despite no field time

Getting a new field over the summer, the Dons struggled to get time on the field together as a team this season with the possibility of falling behind in preparation being a real threat.

However, through the first few days of camp, the opposite has occurred and the Dons appear to already be ahead in preparation than they were at this point last season.

“I’ve been really impressed because we didn’t have a field all summer,” head coach Floyd Burnsed said. “Our practice time during the summer was very, very limited. So we didn’t get a lot in, but yesterday we looked at our team and we’re actually ahead of where we were last year, which is very surprising.”

Practicing at Las Lomas two times a week with the rest of the summer being just lifting days, the Dons got less field time than most teams this summer but seized every opportunity that they got together on the field.

Facing tough teams such as rivals Campolindo this season, the Dons will look to get ahead of their competition anyway that they can.

Lake Tahoe camp came in handy

While unable to strap on pads until this week, the Dons still did what they could to compete against other teams this summer and one way they did that was by going to camps and working on team oriented stuff to better assess what they have.

Going up to South Lake Tahoe for a few days this summer to partake in a camp, the Dons were able to make much progress in their preparations for week one.

“I think a lot that we worked on was up at South Lake Tahoe High School,” Burnsed said. “We went up there for a camp for a couple days. Got a lot of good work up there and really we were able to evaluate players and where to put players, and I was really impressed with some of the talent that we got.”

Originally allowed to go to a padded camp in Reno, North Coast Section rules and regulations prevent that from happening in today’s game but the Dons taking advantage of the Tahoe camp proved to be very useful.

Possessing a team that is ready to make noise this year, the Dons are happy with the summer that they were able to have and are ready to take on the season ahead.

Speed is prominent

A team that has a mix of all types of players, speed is a trait that is not lacking from this season’s Dons squad.

With two Division 1 wide receivers in Trevor Rogers (Cal) and Paul Kuhner (Princeton), the Dons are looking to unleash the weapons they have to better faze whoever they play and will look to do so by utilizing the speed that they have scattered all throughout its roster.

“I think one is overall team speed,” Burnsed said. “We have a lot of kids that can run and our skill kids are really, really good. We have two division 1 receivers and two quarterbacks that are really good.”

In a football era where speed is very important, the Dons are equipped to be able to hang with any team.

Using speed as backbone, the Dons will look to take their opponents out of games early and turn into an offensive powerhouse as the season progresses.

Team harmony is showing early

Teamwork is extra important in football, and while the Dons struggled to find field time, they were still able to build a strong bond over the summer.

Needing everyone to pull their weight in order to have a successful year, the team has taken extra measures to make sure that they don’t miss a beat in the closeness department.

“The overall team camaraderie,” Burnsed said. “We play together and everybody does their job and I think that is very important when you’re playing football.”

A big team, but still relying on everybody, everyone on the Dons this season will have a job and will have to do it well in order to create a more positive environment.

Closeness in football is important and the Dons have been able to successfully create a good closeness among the team.

The championship mindset is contagious around camp

Going 10-2 last season but losing in the second round of the playoffs in a close game, revenge is on the Dons’ mind.

Hitting the ground running to start camp, the hunger and desire to make a deep playoff run and win the section has been a central theme for the Dons this summer.

“We want to start with a league championship. That’s kind of our first thing,” senior wide receiver Paul Kuhner said. “Non league games obviously include San Marin, SRV, Amador Valley, Vallejo. Those are all great games, but at the end of the day, league is really where it matters, so most likely it will come down to Campo on our Senior Night. That’s a big game for us that’s already check marked, and then after that, just going into playoffs, becoming NCS champions and hopefully state champions.”

A consistent NCS contender, the Dons are eager to continue to show that they belong and are capable of greatness.

The Dons head to Napa on Friday for a scrimmage meet-up with Vintage and Napa high schools. With their first pre-season game on Aug. 25 against San Marin, the Dons will continue to keep up the hard work so that they are ready to go week one.