BELLFLOWER, Calif. – Football was back at St. John Bosco for the first time in almost three and a half months.

Football without the actual football that is. 

On Monday, the defending national champions held their first summer conditioning workouts for the upcoming season. Small groups of 10 players or less filed in, getting their temperatures checked, before heading out to the field to participate in seven different sessions. 

While the conditioning workouts do little to help them progress technically as a football program, head coach Jason Negro was excited to have his players back together as a team. 

"For them to be isolated and at home, I think that is very damaging to the young man. These guys need this," he said. "Everybody is talking about their physical health, but what about their mental health?"

"For a young man to be able to safely come out and be a part of something as a group is very positive."

One of the Braves returning seniors, wide receiver Beaux Collins, shared his coaches excitement at taking a positive step forward towards the season.  

"It's pretty different, I've never experienced that before with having so much time to myself," Collins said. "But it felt pretty great, seeing these guys again. It's just pretty exciting."

St. John Bosco worked with the L.A. County Department of Public Health as well as the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to get the green-light to begin practicing. They join a growing list of schools who are beginning to schedule socially distanced workouts on campus. 

And as "practice" begins for high school football, there is still plenty of uncertainty regarding the actual season.  

There is no definite time table on when and if high school football will be played this fall, but Coach Negro was adamant that finding a safe return to play is top of mind. 

"The CIF Southern Section along with the State and each of its member schools have to do the best job possible to provide kids an opportunity that they only have a four-year window to do in the first place," he said. "We have to do everything within our power to allow them to have the opportunity and that's what we're gonna do here at Bosco."

Among ongoing discussions regarding the upcoming season are the possibility of a delayed start, a shortened season overall, and even the possibility of not playing high school football until January. 

Originally, St. John Bosco was slated to open up the preseason on August 21. But with the recent surge in positive coronavirus cases throughout California, there could be a delay in scheduling and planning. 

"I know this has been a devastating time for a lot of people, but we're going to have to learn to live with it because I don't think this virus is going away," Negro said. "We're going to have to push through as long as we're doing that in the safest way possible."

Collins echoed his head coach saying that while there was some concern in the return to the practice field, he and his fellow players are just hopeful they will be able to play through. After winning a national championship as a junior, he is eager to repeat for his final season.   

"We have to stay cautious and stay safe, so of course we're just taking it day by day," Collins said. "In the back of my mind I'm thinking there may not be a season, but I'm hoping." 

"We've been winning championships and things like that, so we want to stay up to par. It's pretty important for us to get back and have a season."