On an unseasonably cool Thursday in August, on the storied turf of Veterans Stadium, with dragonflies humming through the air and the sound of helmets popping, football came back to Long Beach.  The LBCC Vikings held their first day of practice Thursday, an early step on the long road to bouncing back from last year’s disappointing 4-6 campaign.

If the first day of practice was any indication, they might be on their way—for one thing, the sheer number of players on the field was staggering, as every jersey number from 1-99 (except for 13, of course) was taken.  “And we had to make cuts to get down to that,” said second-year coach Mike Reisbig.  “Because I’ve only got 99 jerseys.”

The talent level was up too, thanks to a continued influx of local players—we counted 37 Moore League footballers on the roster, including 13 Poly Jackrabbits.  The fat roster means added depth, and more competition, which should guarantee success all over the field.  “Oh, it’s a dogfight at every position,” says Reisbig. 

Fans’ first chance to see how that depth translates onto the field will be August 26th, when the team holds an open scrimmage.  Check back later in the month for our coverage, and come back September 1st for our full preview of the Vikings’ season.  If you’re craving more right now, click here for our audio interview with Reisbig from Thursday.