The Heavy Lunch Box goes to ...

...senior defensive end Ray Martin (again), and Sunday's "oooooooo moment" was provided by sophomore offensive guard Charles McDaniel.

The Heavy Lunch Box is an attaboy award created by the defensive coaching staff reflecting the "blue collar approach" that defensive coordinator Kurt Corbin wants from the Purple Swarm. That Ray Martin won it is not surprising to anybody who has watched No. 58 play for the Demons. That he won it two straight days this weekend was very impressive to his coaches and teammates.

Ray-Ray's motor runs fast, as they say. It ran so fast that he had some dehydration issues -- he lost 15 pounds after winning the Lunch Box award for Saturday morning. He was medically cleared to work out Sunday but everybody and their brother expected the senior to taper back, except Ray knows only one way to play.

"That was impressive," said defensive line coach Roy Locks, not far removed from his 2002 All-America award for the Demons. "When the guys see a senior giving effort like that and being as productive as Ray is, that is exactly the kind of example we want to show a blue collar approach. Come to work every day, have fun, work hard, and get it done. That's Ray. For him to win it two straight days, in that situation, that's amazing."

There were some noteworthy battles in one-on-one confrontations between offensive and defensive linemen in the first half of Sunday's practice. Both sides agreed that McDaniel made the biggest impression, battling successfully against some of the Purple Swarm's top big fellas.

Demetrius Bell, Albert Smith, Charlie Brooks and Martin were among other standouts.

"But the thing I like best," said Locks, "was that we went into the drill together and we came out of it as one unit, o-line and d-line. Coach O (offensive line coach Jeremy Offutt) and I are teaching the same things. We're going to compete and we like to compete but we are all on the same side."

A couple of rookies made their marks in that competition -- offensive lineman Jace Prescott, the 6-5, 360-pounder from Haughton who is turning heads not only by the shadow he casts, but with the ability he is showing to move and move people out of his way; and Opelousas product Marshall Harris, a 6-3, 260-pound defensive end.

But as Locks said, the hitting the past two days was nothing compared to what's going to unfold Monday morning with full pads on for the first time.

Doug Ireland, SID