EAST PROVIDENCE — There's no rest for the weary. Not when you're an East Providence High School football player participating in the program's workouts series being held weekly throughout the summer in the build up to the 2016 season.

About 70 veteran and incoming Townies were in attendance on the school grounds for last week's workout, which took place Wednesday, July 20, under the still blazing early evening sun. They remained there as they do each week for about two hours, put through their paces by third-year head coach Jay Monteiro and his staff, which now includes former East Providence standout Robbie Delgado.

It's just one way for what will be a relatively inexperienced group of Townies to find their footing as a unit well ahead of the start of official practices, which begin in late August. The players also meet each Monday and Thursday mornings for weight training from 10 a.m. to noon. On Thursday evening, E.P. is participating in a non-contact passing league, known more familiarly to pro football fans as '7-on-7" drills.

"We always try to build the idea of 'team.' We say, "Team, team, the damn team." And we say that because we're trying to help each other in a positive way," Coach Monteiro said during last week's workout. "That's what we're trying to do. Like I say from Day One when I got the job, is that we're trying to build something special here. We have good coaches. The kids are really good. They're coming out. And this ain't easy. Anyone who wants to come out and join us, they're welcome."

The vibe surrounding the East Providence High School football program is as good as it's been in a while. The Townies finished 2015 with their first winning record in the Division I ranks since 2010 and made the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The year ended with a 35-20 loss to rival LaSalle in the state championship playoff semifinals.

"The reason why we're doing this is we want to build team unity. Not only are we working out, but we're helping each other. I want the guys to build each other up, be positive with each other," Coach Monteiro added. "Coach Mark Janton, I gave him the lead on this. He's the one who started this. He put together all of the workout stations. The kids like it. We play music, get them going. We change up every minute. Every minute they rotate to a new station. This is all about strength, agility, power, everything. It's a complete workout."

Coach Janton, a second-year member of the staff who coaches the offensive and defensive lines, put together the exercises, which include crab crawl drill, tire roll, keg lift, weight thrust, short sprints, push-ups, rope resistance, kettle balls standing jumps and bag hops. He, like Coach Monteiro, sees the workouts as a way of bringing the group together while adding a little spice to the usual off-season workout routine.

"I just wanted to get kids out of the weight room. The weight room gets kind of boring. It's monotonous," Coach Janton explained. "So getting them out here doing this, they get excited about it. It's a team building thing. They have to motivate each other, push each other through the drills. It's really here just for teamwork and mental toughness."

The current players, which include few veterans, will have to show a bit more fortitude this year, especially after their bounce-back effort last fall. East Providence once again made itself a factor among the elite programs in the state in 2015. This current group, then, will deal with the weight of expectations that come from wearing the Townie "red and white," ready or not.

"This year we have a really young team, therefore this is building team bonding. It keeps us together as a team. It also helps the young kids who don't know how we do things to learn. It's just a great time to get together as a team," said senior and three-year starting quarterback Ryan Ellinwood. "Everybody around the state is saying East Providence is back, East Providence is back. They only way we can prove we're back is to do it on the field."