It was Labor Day, and for millions of Americans that meant a day free from work.

For the players and coaches on the Mac football team, however, Labor Day was a bit more literal: it was a day to put in work. The team began its practice at 7:30 a.m.

“Coach G got the word out that even though it was Labor Day, we still have to get the work in so we can get the edge this week on Lehman,” senior running back Caleb Brown said.

Brown, who rushed for 59 hard-earned yards in Thursday’s loss to Anderson, said that team showed up for today’s practice despite the holiday, but said the team’s focus was poor at first. He attributed it to the Monday blues.

“The beginning of the week it takes a while for people to get juiced or fired up so we come out slow and sluggish and not focused.”

His teammate, senior wideout Takai Satberry agreed.

“It was a little slow today just trying to move forward from Thursday’s game,” said Satberry, who caught five passes for 43 yards in the game and scored the Knights’ lone touchdown on a pass from sophomore quarterback Jaxon Rosales.

Brown said that it’s past time for the team to put the Anderson game behind them and look toward the Lehman game and improving as a team.

“I understand we lost last week and everyone is disappointed,” Brown said, “but I take it personal as a wake-up call that it’s time to step up our game and have better effort, accountability and toughness. Just because we lost it’s not a time to lay down and give up. It’s time for us to … rise up to the adversity.”

Brown said that he saw positive signs that the team is moving in that direction.

“We are learning and trying to get better,” Brown said of today’s practice. “It might not be great every time, but in order to learn you’re going to have to fail sometimes.”

Satberry said the team’s fortunes on Friday rest on doing the simple things correctly.

“Lehman is a beatable team. It all just comes down to us and doing our jobs as a team.”

At the end of today’s practice, Satberry said that’s exactly what happened. The team executed plays correctly in simulated game situations showing the kind of focus they will need to win on Friday.

“Every game is an important game even it’s a non-district game,” Brown said. “The McCallum Knights football team is going to do whatever it takes to turn things around for the better.” Even if it means working to improve on a federal holiday that’s supposed to be free from working.