There are just 36 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 few days, AccessWDUN will get you prepped for the start of gridiron action with responses from coaches throughout northeast Georgia. (Teams run in alphabetical order)...
EAST HALL
After three straight seasons of being nearly-men (East Hall went 5-5 2011-13), the Vikings seem to have grasped just what it takes to be a consistent winner and playoff team, reaching the postseason in back-to-back campaigns. Now coach Bryan Gray wants his program to continue its ascent.
It won't come easy in a stacked Region 7-AAA, but -- as AccessWDUN sports editor Morgan Lee discovered -- Gray believes his team has the ability to keep climbing and continue its run of success.
QUESTION: After posting a record of 27-25 with two straight state playoff appearances over the last five seasons it certainly seems that Vikings football is on the verge of elevating to the next level. Do you feel your program is set up to do just that?
ANSWER: That's our expectation. We've got a tremendous group of players and coaches, and they're working every day to maximize our potential. The kids have bought in to what our coaches are asking, and you can see that in how the program has performed over the past few years, and we think we can keep getting better.
Q: You fielded one of the most explosive offenses in northeast Georgia last season. Taking into account the players you must replace and the players that return, how good do you think that unit can be in 2016?
A: I expect our kids to be better. The corps of the offense returns at the skill positions. The offensive line is being developed, but they're hard working and we expect them to improve. We feel we can be just as effective throwing the ball as we were last season, but we also feel we can have a powerful run game too with the personnel we have, and that added dimension would make us even better as an offense. We hope to be able to bring that to our game this season.
Previously in Two-a-Days: DAWSON COUNTY
Up Next in Two-a-Days: EAST JACKSON
