New plays highlight Faith Academy football’s first practice

CAPTION: Faith Academy football head coach Jay Silvers and the Flames return to Britton Field for the start of training camp. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls football team began preparations for the 2026 season during the first day of training camp Aug. 3.

“I felt like it went really well,” head coach Jay Silvers said. “We were actually talking about that earlier with the other coaches, and they came out with really good energy. The returning varsity members did a great job getting everybody going, getting them lined up and just getting through the routines.”

The program had 24 players for the three-hour sessions.

“There are a lot of new kids out there and freshmen that I haven’t played and some that played in eighth grade that are just trying to figure out the speed,” the coach said. “So they did a really good job with that and overall, I felt like we had pretty good energy the whole day.”

Though the Flames participated in the three-hour practice on the first day and made it count, Silvers noted the players were able to work on football-specific drills, not performing drills that got them in shape.

“For me, conditioning’s always been a big thing, so I would like to see them in better condition,” he said. “But that’ll come with just some time here in the next two-to-three weeks – one, getting game conditioning, and then two, just the overall getting that way. The fourth quarter’s not wearing down on them.”

Faith participated in 6-on-6 games in June, so the players didn’t do a whole lot of their base plays. Instead, Silvers spent time looking at who signed up for football and considering what each player does best and thinking and drawing up plays that showcase each Flame. So when the players came to the practice, Silvers wanted to see them in those plays to figure out which ones to keep.

Much of the new plays featured senior Wade Dillard serving as the lead blocker with junior Landon Silvers as the featured back.

“I just wanted to try some stuff and just see what their feel was for it and just communicate,” the coach said. “It was just learning some new things. We didn’t do a whole lot of what we’re used to doing, but I’m not worried about that part as much right now.”

The elder Silvers noted that while his son and Dillard didn’t show anything that surprised him since he has coached them since elementary school, he was happy to see the two act like seasoned, confident veterans with teammates who are new to a varsity practice.

“They were doing a great job getting everybody in the huddle and getting the play called and just being real crisp about all the stuff,” he said. “Wade was getting the guys lined up and where to go, so it was good seeing that part because last year it was (former standout) Andrew (Houy) kind of charging that up and doing a lot of that. So to see those two guys get after it and do it was pretty fun to see.”

The Flames worked on some defensive stuff, too, the coach said, led by senior Price Rosamond and junior Egan Barnes.

“Just getting placement, where to line up when different formations are thrown at them,” he said. “It was kind of just a lot of ‘hey, let’s make sure everybody’s on the same page,’ especially with the younger guys watching the older guys, because the older guys can call out things, and they know where to go. In general, the younger guys are trying to figure out the calls and what to do.”

Faith welcomes Waco Vanguard at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, in the season opener.