For many of the high school football coaches and players throughout the state who opened practice this week, one of the most difficult aspects was getting back into the season routine.

For one Keys team, however, this first week of official practices was an all-too-new experience.

Island Christian School, a private school in Islamorada that will be fielding a six-on-six team this fall, held its first gridiron practices in 15 years this week. Not only is the entire team -- coaches and players -- basically entering the season with no experience, it is also doing so while having to learn a new game.

"I've been doing a lot of reading," said athletics director Robert Lucas, who is also the team's head coach. "In fact, I still am."

With a school enrollment of about 50, the Eagles have 10 players working out so far, with just one of them having any prior football experience -- and that was in a youth league. Even the players who are familiar with the game are having to adjust to the several rules differences from traditional 11-man football.

Lucas, however, did find a silver lining in the team's mostly green roster.

"I guess the one advantage is that we don't have any bad habits to break," he said.

The school is still in the process of finalizing its schedule, which could include road games as far away as Tampa and Orlando. Lucas said the first game likely won't be until Sept. 11 or Sept. 18.

Among the rules differences in six-on-six football, which is played on a 40x80-yard field: Every player is an eligible receiver, there is no blocking allowed below the waist, linemen don't have to get down in a three-point stance, and multiple players can be in motion prior to the snap, but just one can be moving at the snap.

While the changes can lead to an imaginative, fast-paced playbook, Lucas said his main focus right now is on getting the basics down.

"Our kids have basically no football experience, so we're just trying to come up with a basic offense to work out of," said Lucas, who is being assisted by Eagles baseball coach Tony Hammon. "Both of the kids that will probably play quarterback are going to be freshmen, so we're just trying right now to make it as simple as possible."

Assistant Sports Editor Willis Jacobson's column appears exclusively each Friday in The Citizen. He can be reached at 305-292-7777, Ext. 223, or at wjacobson@keysnews.com.