There are just 33 days left until the kickoff of the 2016 high school football season -- 15 days until the first practice in pads -- 8 until the first fall conditioning practices may commence.
But make no mistake, the 2016 season got underway months ago -- not in the record books, but in weight rooms, sand pits, and practice fields throughout the state. And teams from throughout northeast Georgia are now in the final stages of preparations that began almost as soon as the 2015 season ended.
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 it 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 -- twice a day -- for the start of gridiron action with responses from coaches throughout northeast Georgia. We present them in alphabetical order, starting with Apalachee and touring all over the place before ending back up near the start in Winder-Barrow.
We're already hunkering down in anticipation of kickoff; we hope this helps to get you in the mood too...
JACKSON COUNTY
The recently graduated senior class was the first in school history to make back-to-back state playoff appearances when they were freshmen and sophomores. But, the 19 graduates also took them a wealth of experience that has left coach Brandon Worley and his staff looking for new leaders and several key positions to fill.
The Panthers were close in 2015 losing two region games by a touchdown or less and letting a fourth quarter lead slip away against Hart County. Worley said they have spent the offseason looking for answers to both of those questions.
QUESTION: The 2015 senior class may have been the best in school history football-wise. How have things gone during the spring and summer in finding their replacements?
ANSWER: We have been looking for some leadership in the guys we have this year. There is always a core group on every team that steps up and we’re looking to see who does this year. (Senior quarterback) Caleb Matthews returns and is showing some on the offensive side, as is (senior wide receiver) Zane Corley and junior (running back) Noah Venable. (Senior) cornerback Chris Griggs has stepped forward on the defensive side. Griggs and Corley were a big part of the baseball team [which advanced to the Class AAA semifinals in 2015] and have a lot of respect from the guys so it’s good to see them out front. That will be a big key for us.
Q: Y’all were just a few plays from perhaps another playoff season in 2015. However, closing out the close games proved to be a problem. What have y’all been doing to try and improve in that area?
A: That is definitely an area we feel we can get better in, and we need too with so many teams that are close talent-wise. It was a lot of little things for us. I think the key is just creating that confidence that you can and will get it done at the end of a game. We’re working hard on finding ways to have success late in games. We definitely have the talent to win. We just need to show that we do. But, I also think the sun is rising on Jackson County football.
Previously in Two-a-Days: HABERSHAM CENTRAL
Up Next in Two-a-Days: JEFFERSON
