Varsity coach Andrew Watson has found a few reasons to be upbeat as he starts his second season of leading the Norborne Hardin-Central (NHC) co-op 8-man football program. One reason is the turnout. As of an Aug. 15 interview on the Hardin-Central practice fields, there were roughly 24 players, Watson said. He expects that total to remain stable as the Aggies enter regular-season play. “Our numbers are up, so that’s exciting,” Watson said. Watson has found cause for optimism in the tenor of the Aggies’ training sessions since practices began Aug. 8 for fall sports, per Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) regulations. “(The) kids are energetic, flying around, playing good football, so just (a) lot of good going on,” he said. Getting into that practice rhythm has been a gradual process, J.W. Doyle, Kelton Gordon and Kobe Gibson agreed. The first practice day “was a little rough,” acknowledged Doyle, a Hardin-Central senior. Or “it was lackadaisical,” to be…