MONTGOMERY, Ala.—After beginning preseason practice last Friday, the Alabama State University football team has started their first full week of practice that will lead up to the team's first scrimmage set for Saturday, August 10 at 9 a.m.

The Hornets have been working the roster of players through one practice session per day as the two-a-day practices will begin on Thursday, Aug. 8.

It has been a two-fold beginning of practice with the returners being tested on what they have retained from last year and even what they learned last spring, while the newcomers are having a lot of new terminology thrown at them while continuing to be tested on what they retain from day-to-day.

"I think the returners are doing pretty decent," head coach Reggie Barlow said. "They are the core of our team and those guys are the guys that are going to lead for the younger players."

"I also think there has been some improvement, but we have a long ways to go and there are things we have to continue to get better at, and that includes from a leadership standpoint so they can lead the younger guys."

"I told Coach Payne earlier I was really impressed with the young kids," Barlow said. "Typically, the third or fourth day in some of them would be gone, but these guys here are learning the system and there is a handful of them we believe are going to help us. They have learned the system and were here this summer and it looks like that handful will be able to help us."

The Hornets have one more day of practicing once a day, before the two-a-day practice sessions get started and there are some things the team needs to work on before those days begin.

"We have to continue to get in better shape," Barlow said. "That is always the tough thing when you're out here in the heat and sun. Once your conditioning and mindset goes and you begin to feel like you're not in shape it is just hard to stay focused. So we have to continue to get better from a conditioning standpoint and we also want to see some more physicality on our defense and continue to work on skill development."

The Hornets will hit the field tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. before taking Wednesday off.