By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

For the LaGrange College football team and head coach Todd Mooney, Sunday can’t get here fast enough.

That’s when the Panthers hit the practice field for the first time, signaling the start of a season in which the team will be defending its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

After going 0-20 in its first two seasons, LaGrange College went 9-2 in 2008, including a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Mooney is ready to build upon the championship season.

The Panthers open the season Sept. 5 at home against Birmingham Southern.

“I’m ready to get back on the field and get out of the office, that’s for sure,” said Mooney, who is starting his fourth season with the Panthers.

With about 60 newcomers, the total number of players Mooney and his staff must evaluate is around 125.

That will take about a week or so, and the team could see up to four sets of offenses and defenses getting acclimated to the Panthers’ systems.

The coaches won’t be taking it easy on anyone, either.

“The first five or seven days we really turn up the heat,” Mooney said. “We throw all the schemes at them as fast as we can to get guys locked in and focused on what we do here. It forces repetitions and it makes it easier for us to evaluate.”

Having to account for that many players could be overwhelming, but it’s not for Mooney.

He credited the coaching staff for their work in the evaluation period.

“We’ve got a great staff here,” Mooney said. “They know what we’re looking for and do a great job of evaluating.”

The depth chart won’t even be tinkered with until the evaluation period is over, and Mooney expects that to be about a week after practice begins.

So, what must a young player do to impress the coaches?

“Everybody gets into the schemes really quickly,” Mooney said. “It depends on how quickly they catch on to what we’re doing.”

Under the NCAA Division III rules, coaches aren’t allowed to supervise offseason workouts for returning players.

While Mooney won’t see the majority of the players until reporting day today, his staff has kept up with some players’ summer workout regimens.

“We’ve stayed in touch with the veterans, and it sounds like they’ve gotten a lot out of the workouts,” Mooney said. “Also, from what we’ve been hearing about the new guys, they look to be in good shape too. We’ll all find out soon enough.”

With the Panthers not having practiced as a team since before the loss to Millsaps College in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, LaGrange College is eagerly looking forward to another season.

“It can’t get here fast enough, or the coaches and the players,” Mooney said.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE: From Sunday through Thursday, the Panthers will be on the practice field from 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., and they’ll have two practice sessions on Friday, one from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., and the other one from 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.