There are just 37 days left until the kickoff of the 2016 high school football season, but make no mistake, preparations for the 2016 season got underway months ago in weight rooms, sand pits and practice fields throughout the state. And teams from throughout northeast Georgia are in full countdown mode.
With that in mind we spent the last few days catching up with programs around our area to get a feel for how spring practice went, how the summer is going and what coaches believe the fall will look like. We call the series "Two-a-Days" in honor of the grinding sessions that lead us out of summer and into fall. And for the next two weeks, AccessWDUN will get you prepped for the start of gridiron action with responses from coaches throughout northeast Georgia. (Teams run in alphabetical order)...
DAWSON COUNTY
What coach Sid Maxwell helped spark last season in Dawsonville was nothing short of historic. The Tigers won a region title, set a program record for wins and clinched their first ever state quarterfinal berth. Now Dawson County hopes to show that was no one-year trick.
What will it take to do just that? And how did last year's success alter -- if at all -- the mindset of players at Dawson County? AccessWDUN sports editor Morgan Lee talked with Maxwell to find out the answers
QUESTION: Last season presented a heck of a start to your time with the Tigers, leading the program to its first state quarterfinal appearance. What has that kind of explosive start done to the mindset of the players in your program?
ANSWER: We've got a few new players out because of our success, and we're trying to get our athletes here to be multiple-sports athletes. We encourage that. But the biggest difference is the confidence level you can see in the players. The men believe we're headed in the right direction -- though like I always say, we have to keep moving because if you stop you'll get run over. We have to guard against complacency and stay focused to keep getting better.
Q: That said you graduated a lot of contributors and leaders from last season. You know you have a stellar quarterback returning, but who else will step into those leadership roles this season?
A: We have a good, solid senior class that was around for last year's run, and those young men are prepared to step up and do what it takes to be successful. They also know that even though we had success last year that that's no guarantee of success this year. I don't take a lot of credit for what we were able to do last year, that was on the players and their ability to improve on the fly. As coaches you develop ability and provide a system to correct what players are doing wrong, and when young men can correct themselves on the go you know you're in for a special season.
Previously in Two-a-Days: COMMERCE
Up Next in Two-a-Days: EAST HALL
