There are just 27 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2018 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign got underway months ago in weight rooms, sand pits and practice fields throughout the state. And teams throughout northeast Georgia are in full countdown mode.
With that in mind we spent the last couple of weeks 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 those old-school grinding sessions that lead us out of summer and into fall, asking each area coach two key questions about the state of their respective programs.
Over the next two weeks, AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night will get you prepped for the start of gridiron action with responses from coaches throughout northeast Georgia. (Teams run in alphabetical order)...
JACKSON COUNTY
The Panthers are coming off their third playoff appearance in the last six seasons but also are still looking for their first-ever playoff win. Their five wins in 2017 was the most since 2012 and only the second time the Panthers have notched five wins since 1992. We asked coach Brandon Worley how he and his staff are using that as momentum as they prepare for the 2018 season.
QUESTION: Coach, y'all are coming off the second-best season for the Panthers since 1992 and a playoff berth. How are y'all using last season as a building tool?
ANSWER: We will continue to focus on the day-to-day process to get better. We will focus on controlling what we can control to better ourselves each and everyday. Effort, attitude, and toughness are all areas we can control. Our program is built around relationships and having a purpose built on serving others. Wins and losses will fade, but relationships will last forever. By keeping relationships as the priority from year to year, winning will take care of itself. Last year's success is a result of the process.
Q: Which is the bigger priority heading into 2018: finding a replacement for RB Noah Venable or building up the defense?
A: While each player has their talents, the team is most important. We will miss many players from the 2017 team, but every player matters regardless of accolades or stats. We promote unity in all three phases of the game and nothing will be different this year. We will have many players who step up and fill the void left by an outstanding group of seniors. With that being said, we are expecting great things from our defense this year. Tyler Wester, Len Hilbert, Elijah Pierce, Nate Vincent, Eli Vincent, Andrew King, Rayshun Dorsey, and L.T. Pecht will all be key contributors on defense with many players competing for positions.
- Previously in Two-a-Days: HABERSHAM CENTRAL
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: JEFFERSON
