There are just 28 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)...
FLOWERY BRANCH
The Falcons under new coach Ben Hall snapped a three-year playoff drought and advanced to the second round of the Class 5A playoffs in 2017. But with the creation of Cherokee Bluff, Flowery Branch has dropped down to Class 4A and into a rugged Region 7-4A that houses the defending state champion (Marist) and state runner-up (Blessed Trinity). We asked coach Ben Hall about the new changes and how they are using last year's playoff run to get ready for 2018.
QUESTION: Coach, how are y'all building off our last season's success?
ANSWER: Last season definitely generated momentum for our program and our players and coaches have worked hard throughout the off-season to build upon that success. There have been many extraneous variables associated with the school split and move that could have become distractions, but our kids have done a great job of narrowing their focus and moving forward. Our success in each phase of the game is dependent upon our ability to identify and utilize the strengths of our players.
Q: With a drop in classification, what are y'alls expectations in a new region this season?
A: Classification and region alignments have been hot topics statewide for several years. Last year our team competed in 8-5A, and before that my team competed in 8-4A. There is little if any difference in talent or numbers between the two classifications. Our preparation will be consistent with years past and our school is excited about the opportunity to join our system neighbors, West Hall and Chestatee, in Region 7-4A. Our expectation will always be to improve daily and field a competitive team in each contest.
- Previously in Two-a-Days: EAST JACKSON
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: GAINESVILLE
