The players aren’t the only ones putting in hard work this summer to prepare for the upcoming football season.

A handful of Lancer Gridiron Club dads spent Sunday afternoon hunkered down in the Blessen family garage, carefully painting names and jersey numbers on the wooden football helmet cutouts that senior players put on their front lawns every game day.

“It’s just kind of a tradition for the senior players — these and signs, anything we can do to get the community involved and supportive,” said Greg Blessen, whose son Christian figures to be this year’s starting quarterback. “We’re excited about the new coach. We’re runnin’ a new offense, so it’s going to be interesting. I think he [Coach Dustin Delaney] is going to do really well.”