There are just 32 days left until the kickoff of the 2016 high school football season -- 14 days until the first practice in pads -- 7 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...
JOHNSON
After five years of playing non-region schedules, Johnson is poised to jump back into the fight for a chance to play for a state title. Of course, coach Jason Roquemore knows the Knights will have to take things in steps, but the jump back into region play has helped generate some new excitement into the program.
Of course, it will have to be a big step to make the playoffs with powerhouses Buford, Clarke Central, Flowery Branch, and Loganville also playing in Region 8-AAAAA.
QUESTION: Coach, on defense you lost a lot of experience up front and will be young in the secondary as well. How much of a concern is that as you move into what is expected to be a rugged region?
ANSWER: It’s always important to be good up front defensively and we lost some quality guys. We had three graduate that had 25 games of varsity starting experience from just last year. Right now we’re looking at just finding the right combinations and who works and plays well together. Ethan Emment (senior) and Austin Ridley (senior) got some playing time there last year and have looked good so far. We also moved Cameron McCarthy (senior, 6-4, 250 pounds) to the defense from the offense but he will play both ways also. In the secondary we have some talent but it’s inexperienced as far as varsity play. Dillon Berry (senior) moved from corner to safety and A.T. Young will be a corner and they have the most experience.
Q: Do you think the program is ready to make an impact in region play, especially being in such a tough region?
A: I feel we’re ready to do this. Our numbers have been on the rise the last few years. I do think we’ve been better than our record has indicated. For us, it’s always been about doing the little things to win. A key play here or there in several games last year and we’re probably a .500 team. Our focus is on learning how to make impactful plays at crucial times. But, also staying healthy is a key for us and that has been an issue the last couple of seasons. Building quality depth is huge and we’re trying to develop those second-tier guys that can compete. I believe we’re making progress in that area as well. I think I’m probably the most excited about our roster this year in my five seasons here. We’re looking forward to this season.
Previously in Two-a-Days: JEFFERSON
Up Next in Two-a-Days: LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
