MEADVILLE — The heat is a common theme for Miss-Lou football teams during fall camp, and Franklin County High School is no exception.

Bulldogs head coach Ricky O’Quinn said his players are fighting through the hot temperatures in anticipation of Friday’s season opener against North Pike High School.

“It’s hot (here), but it’s hot everywhere,” O’Quinn said. “We’re battling the heat, and it’s a difficult preseason practice for us. We’re just fine-tuning things and making sure we’ve got everything covered.”

O’Quinn said he’s trying not to throw too much as his players so early, and he said having a veteran group that knows the ropes goes a long way in preparation for the season.

“We’re kind of blessed in the area of experience,” O’Quinn said. “You get better at what you do, and you can add more to it, and we’ve been able to do that.”

Conditioning, ball security and special teams are three specific focal points for the team so far, O’Quinn said. So far, there haven’t been any surprise players to step up during practice, but O’Quinn said he’s been pleased with how the team’s sophomores have responded.

“We have a lot of sophomores stepping up for us,” O’Quinn said. “When you can put them in a ball game and give guys breathers, it adds to our depth, and that’s big for us.”

North Pike will bring size and good skill players to Franklin County Friday night when the Bulldogs host the MHSAA 4A team from Summit. Although Franklin County won last year’s matchup 23-8, O’Quinn said he’s not paying attention to last season’s results.

“That was last year,” he said. “We can’t focus on last year.”

Kickoff is at 7:30 Friday night.