MANDAN, N.D. (KFYR) - Football practice kicked off across the state on Thursday. Many teams got started bright and early. In Mandan, practice looked much different at 7 a.m., with not a lot of focus on football.

Day one of Mandan Football practice was an easy one for head coach Todd Sheldon.

“There’s nothing like going through a physical challenge with your brothers to cement the fact that you’re here to do one thing and accomplish one thing together, and that’s play the game of football,” said Mandan head football coach Todd Sheldon.

He turned his Braves players over to United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Quincey Thao.

“What I love to do is maintain the concept of what we teach in the Marine Corps, which is teamwork,” said Thao.

It’s a tradition that started in 2012, giving the

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