Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry In photo below, Coach Shawn Wilson takes the temperature of Coach Matt Pascuzzi. Screening is required for everyone — coaches, players and visitors.

It was a long time coming, but off-season practices have begun.

The Warren Area High School football team worked out at Beaty Field on Wednesday evening.

Head coach Mark Morelli told the more than 50 players at conditioning that they were 12 days behind last year’s team already.

The delay – and the time the players and coaches must spend screening before every practice – was caused by COVID-19. The district had to prepare and approve a plan to return to sports and the details of that plan had to be passed on to athletic directors, coaches, players and parents before team activities could commence.

Every player, coach and visitor on the field had to be screened, including having their temperature taken, in order to remain.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry In photo above, Alex Borger helps Micah Passmore stretch Wednesday during Warren Area High School football conditioning.

“It’s about what we expected,” Morelli said of the screening process. “It’s worked out the way the school district wanted. It’s smooth. The kids are cooperating.”

“We tested every kid that showed up,” he said. “We documented it and we’ll submit it to the school.”

The pandemic is not the only thing that’s different this year.

“It’s going to be a different type of preseason,” Morelli said. “This year there are expectations.”

The Dragons finished the 2019 season with a 6-4 record and a playoff appearance.

And, there are “seven to eight starters” returning on both sides of the ball, he said.

Those expectations will be even harder to meet this year, with a schedule that includes a Harbor Creek team that moved into Warren’s classification and games against McDowell and Conneaut.

But the junior high and junior varsity programs have been successful and is feeding the varsity team valuable players. Those new players will have veterans to look to for leadership on the field and on the sidelines.

“Our coaching staff is all back,” Morelli said. “The kids know what to expect. That continuity is huge.”

Before the workouts started, Morelli stressed that he wanted his players to be in better shape than their opponents.

Wednesday’s workout started with stretching and moved on to running — a lot of it.