Most area high school football teams began their seasons Monday hoping to turn state championship dreams into reality.

Teams in Class 3A and under - along with any 4A or 5A schools that didn’t hold spring practices - could begin non-contact drills on Monday.

Schools can begin contact drills on Friday.

Temple and Belton, which both held spring drills, begin practice Aug. 11, with their contact practices starting Aug. 15.

Here’s a look at how several teams fared on their opening day of practice:

ACADEMY

The Academy Bumblebees opened practice hoping to build on last season’s 5-5 mark.

“I was real pleased (Monday) morning,” coach Royce McAdams said. “We thought it was pretty smooth with so many returners.”

Academy finished 3-4 in District 25-2A and in a four-way tie for third but missed out on a playoff tiebreaker after losing three of its last four games. But with nearly all of last season’s starters returning, the Bees should contend for one of the district’s playoff spots.

McAdams, though, isn’t letting his team get caught up in any preseason hype.

“I’m more worried about being able to play to the potential of our team,” he said. “It all means nothing until we play.”

And when the Bees open their season, it won’t be against Riesel, which was originally on the team’s schedule.

After Riesel backed out of its zero week game with Academy, McAdams was forced to scramble and find a replacement.

McAdams confirmed Monday the Bees will open the season on Aug. 28 at home against Waco University’s junior varsity at 7 p.m.

SALADO

One of the area’s most successful teams last season, the Salado Eagles opened practice with a lot of familiar faces, but many new ones as well.

The Eagles finished 13-1 a year ago, the most wins in school history before falling in the 2A Division I semifinals to Tatum.

Salado graduated 18 seniors from that squad. But despite those losses, the Eagles are expected to contend for a third straight 25-2A title.

“We’re exteremly pleased,” coach Jeff Cheatham said after practice Monday evening. “We hit the ground the running. We felt like offensively, we had a high retention rate, defensively, as well.”

A big reason for the Eagles’ high retention rate is the nine returning starters. Plus, a season with a handful of lopsided wins allowed Cheatham to get his younger players varsity experience.

“All those kids being in the program and getting some playoff experience really helped,” he said.

Salado opens its season on Aug. 29 at West.

TROY

The Troy Trojans eagerily opened a season a chock full of changes.

Along with changes at several skill positions, including quarterback, the Trojans also move to 16-2A this season.

“It was a good first day,” coach Grady Rowe said late Monday evening. “It was the typical first day. We had a lot of kids out.”

Rowe estimated the Trojans had 80 players out for the first day of practice, which included morning and evening sessions.

Last season, Troy finished second in 25-2A with a 9-3 record before losing in the 2A Division II area round to East Bernard.

If the Trojans hope to make another run to the playoffs, Rowe said the key will be replacing starters at crucial positions.

“We’ve got some holes to fill like everybody else does,” Rowe said. “We’ve got a new quarterback and some holes in the offensive and defensive lines. It’s a little bit of a different feel this year.”

Troy opens its season against Whitney at home on Aug. 29.

HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC

After a two-year absence, Holy Trinity Catholic returned to the field for its first fall practice.

The Celtics had 12 players out for practice as they began preparation for their TAPPS six-man season.

Holy Trinity will play as an independent this season, though it will play several Division I District 3 opponents, including Central Texas Christian.

“It went great,” coach Bryan White said. “Everybody knows the system from spring football. We started with one formation today and we’ll build on it as the week goes on.”

Instead of the traditional two-a-day practice schedule, the Celtics had one 6 1/2-hour workout. The day included conditioning, weights and formation drills.

The most important part of the day, White said, just might have been lunch.

“It was probably good for them,” he said. “We’re together and they’re bonding.”

Though the Celtics are only a day into their season, White said he can sense the school’s excitement about the football program’s return.

“The whole school is really fired up,” White said. “The whole spirit of the school has increased.”

Holy Trinity opens its season at home on Aug. 29 against Fort Worth Hill.

ROCKDALE

A playoff team a year ago, the Rockdale Tigers opened their season looking for a return trip.

“It went great,” coach Jeff Miller said. “The kids showed up in excellent shape. They were enthusiastic and excited to be there.”

The Tigers bring back multiple skill players on both sides of the ball from last year’s team that finished 4-7 and lost in the 3A Division II bi-district round to eventual runner-up China Spring.

That returning talent made the first day of practice for Miller, in his third season as head coach, run just fine.

“It makes these first practices go smoother,” he said. “Ninety percent of the things we introduced, they already knew.”

The Tigers open their season on Aug. 29 at home against Llano.