There are just 34 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)...
GAINESVILLE
In 15 seasons, coach Bruce Miller has led the Red Elephants not just back to their glory days but beyond, winning the program's first state title (2012) and keeping them one of the most consistent winners in the state.
Of late Gainesville has done so despite throwing in new face after new face at the quarterback position. With another new starter set to take over the Red Elephants' high-flying attack, AccessWDUN sports editor Morgan Lee talked with Miller about his team's continued success both overall and at the QB position.
QUESTION: Your program has remained amongst the top echelon despite starting three different quarterbacks in three straight seasons. This year will make it four in four. How is the competition for the starting QB spot going, and how confident are you that you can continue your success with another new face taking snaps?
ANSWER: It's a tribute to our coaches and kids that we have been able to keep winning. We do have the talent to be successful, but it's been because they have all worked so hard that we've been able to fit the puzzle together and find out who can do it best for us. We hope to be able to do that again this season. Right now the lead on the position is DJ Irons; he has stepped up this spring and stepped up in passing leagues. The position is his unless he loses it. He's a dual threat -- not as fast (2015 starting quarterback) Messiah (Dorsey), but he's a tough kid and he runs hard.
Q: You've seen a lot of changes in your 14 -- going on 15 -- seasons at Gainesville. How does the latest round of reclassification and region pairings shape up for your team?
A: The number one thing was that we had to pick up so many non-region games -- we've got five of them. And one of the only unfortunate things when you have success is that it's hard to find people to play you. We've got Alpharetta, Jefferson, Clarke Central, Marist and West Hall to play so I hope we've got a team left by the time we get to the region schedule! It's going to be a challenge, but I think the kids are excited for it. We've had a great spring and summer, and they're ready for the next phase now.
Previously in Two-a-Days: FLOWERY BRANCH
Up Next in Two-a-Days: HABERSHAM CENTRAL
