The start of the high school football season is a little ways off, but it’s never too early to start preparing for the annual return to the gridiron.

Like many programs around the state, the Selma High School Saints have begun weight training to prepare for the upcoming football season.

Leroy Miles, head football coach of Selma High School, said his players are working out on a weekly basis.

“We’ve started weight training and the kids are coming three days a week right now — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” Miles said.

Miles said it’s very important to get off to an early start because weight training is vital to a program’s success.

“It’s very important because a lot of people have already started around the first of January,” Miles said. “Some (schools) maybe started before they went home for Christmas, especially those that have athletic P.E. (physical education). They just weight train year round. We don’t have athletic physical education, so we have the kids come after school and it’s important that they come so we can get bigger, stronger and faster each year.”

The Saints are looking to improve after a disappointing 3-7 finish last season, and Miles said Selma is preparing to enter a tough, new area in Class 5A Region 3, which includes Citronelle, Sumter Central, Demopolis, Satsuma, Saraland, Greenville and Jackson high schools.