A football never rests on the grass very long during a Bellevue Christian Vikings football spring practice session.

Bellevue Christian head coach Todd Green, who will be in his fifth season as the leader of the Bellevue Christian football program this fall, is an old school coach who believes in seeing his players hustle perpetually every moment they are between the white lines on the gridiron. Players are expected to sprint from drill to drill, and if a football is dropped on a pass pattern and somehow finds its way to the ground, Green expects his players to treat the loose ball as a fumble.

“It takes a few days but pretty soon it becomes a habit. If a kid drops a ball, what is the natural thing? It is, ‘Oh man.’ We try to turn it into a positive rep and now it has turned into a fumble recovery drill,” Green said. “It shifts the players mindset. We don’t have time to dwell on a mistake. We have to react and make a play right away.”

The Vikings, who finished with an overall record of 3-7 last season, couldn’t wait to get back on the field for the first time since November 2016. Bellevue Christian offensive left tackle/linebacker Brandon Parsons is optimistic about his team’s chances of success this season. Parsons’ older brother Dylan was Bellevue Christian’s starting running back during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

“We’re hoping to turn things around this season. The first day of practice is good. It is great to be back with the team and knock the rust off. We’re not the biggest group of guys but we’re quicker than most people,” Parsons said of his team. “Being big helps but it’s not the only thing that matters.”

The Vikings will be led by junior quarterback Mick Larsen this fall on the gridiron. Larsen, who was in his first season as a starter in 2016, believes that experience will bode well for him this fall.

“Getting that experience under my belt is going to be really good for this year. It is fun being a leader. It’s fun to show the young guys what to do. I know I was in that position a couple of years ago,” Larsen said.

Green said his team is already thinking about the season opener at home against Cedar Park Christian on Sept. 2.

“This group of kids are just a fantastic group of guys. I’m jacked. It is going to be a good year. The first [game] is against Cedar Park Christian. That is a good rivalry for us. The kids compete against Cedar Park Christian in other sports too,” Green said. “We got the right mindset, we have the right system and we have some talented kids. If we stay healthy, I think we can be competitive in a lot of games.”