After three days of working out in shorts, Thursday marked the first day that high school football teams around the state could start practicing in full pads.

Don't tell that to the Key West High football team, though.

While most teams around the state started getting reacquainted with the cracking of pads, the Conchs, due to not having an athletic trainer, instead spent the morning session of Thursday's practices lifting weights and going over formations in a class room.

"I don't want to take on the responsibility where if a kid gets hurt and there's no certified trainer out there, that falls back on me," Key West coach Jerry Hughes said. "As a staff, we all agree that it's an unsafe situation to be out there in this heat with no trainer. With football being a contact sport and going through two-a-days, it just puts us in a bad situation."

Not having a trainer on the sideline is nothing new for the Conchs. The school went without a trainer for all of the 2009-10 school year, and it almost proved costly for the football team on the first day of practicing in pads this past spring.

Thomas Butler, a junior who was expected to compete for the tight end job, buckled his knee during a blocking drill and dislocated his patella. He had to be carted off the practice field and into an ambulance back in May, and didn't come out for practices this week. Assistant coach Dave Burgos, who is an EMT, was there to help until the ambulance arrived, but Hughes said he doesn't want to have to put himself or his players in a similar situation this summer or fall.

"Luckily Coach Burgos was there, but if he hadn't been, that could've been a bad situation," Hughes said. "I took a chance in the spring because it's just 20 days, so we had our fingers crossed and hoped for the best, but we were still taking a big chance. Now, with this heat and two-a-days, it's a little bit different story."

Athletic Director Ralph Henriquez, who was hired a week ago, said he may be close to getting the trainer position filled.

Henriquez will meet next week with athletic trainer and former Key West High football player Dale Carey, who currently lives in Georgia, has experience as a trainer on the collegiate level at Florida A&M and has run a rehabilitation clinic.

"Usually there's a trainer and someone who rehabs," Henriquez said, "but he can do both, which is a big plus."

Henriquez said he is hopeful Carey will accept the position.

"We don't really have a timetable other than to get it done as soon as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, Hughes and the Conchs will limit their on-field practices to those that can be attended by Burgos.

"I told the seniors that I felt bad for them because this is their last year and they want to go out and be as successful as they can," Hughes said, "but their health is the most important thing right now."

Despite not making it out to the field, Hughes said Thursday morning's workouts were beneficial.

"We had a very good weight room session and class room session," he said. "We were able to compensate for not going out on the field, but it's not the same. I just hope we get this done soon, because it's depriving us from being the best we can be."

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