If Lamar isn’t tackling heat on the football field, it’s lightning bolts that keep the Cardinals on their feet.

The Cardinals usually schedule practice for the afternoons, but the threat of visible lightning in Beaumont has forced them to finish their drills hours later than expected in the past two days. The Cards worked out in McDonald Gym on Friday evening after a couple of lightning delays and did not complete Thursday’s session until about 9:15 p.m.

It’s been one week since coach Mike Schultz’s second preseason camp took off, and attention has been placed on the running back and tight end corps. Junior Kendrick King, a Hamshire-Fannett graduate, has moved to receiver full-time after spending the first two years primarily as a running back.

That paved the way for sophomore Myles Wanza to become the Cardinals’ feature back, with Navasota junior Derrion Randle spelling him. Wanza’s 365 rushing yards led the team and produced two touchdowns, although King had a team-high 102 carries (for 354 yards).

“Myles is doing a good job,” Schultz said in a Lamar-released video. “Derrion has come a long way. There’s a nice competition, but I don’t think there’s any doubt Myles Wanza’s our No. 1 tailback, and we’ve got a good, healthy competition to see who falls under 2, 3, 4 between Cole Starnes, A.J. Walker and Derrion. I think the thing that makes Myles better is his vision. He can see cuts, and I think vision is huge thing for a running back.”

Randle, however, is probably faster than Wanza, Schultz added.

But Starnes, a junior who transferred last year from Antelope Valley College, led all Lamar running backs with a 6.8-yard per carry average. Starnes nearly rushed for 1,000 yards as a senior at Frisco Wakeland.

James Jones, the recent West Brook graduate, is also in the rushing corps. His twin brother Steven is working out in Lamar’s secondary.

And Walker, who transferred from Dodge City (Kansas) Community College, brings a 5-foot-10, 224-pound frame to the backfield.

“He was the guy who allowed us to move Kendrick outside and put Kendrick at the inside receiver,” Schultz said, adding King will also move around the offense to get touches in different situations.

Said Wanza on video: “The way he’s been running, ain’t nobody really want to tackle him. He’s a big boulder.”

Wanza, at 5-9 and 175 pounds, is listed 5 pounds lighter than he was as a freshman, but he’s touted the backfield’s strength in Schultz’s pursuit to make them more physical in a highly talented Southland Conference.

“We’re definitely more stronger,” Wanza said. “All of us went up about 20 or 30 pounds of weight in bench press [and] squat. We’re more faster, and we’re more ready this year than anything.”

Lamar will hold a closed scrimmage Saturday afternoon.

•

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews