There are just 23 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2020 high school football season. But make no mistake, despite the COVID-19 outbreak, swirling uncertainty since April, and the cancelation of spring practice, preparations for the upcoming campaign have been underway throughout the state since early June. 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 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)...
LUMPKIN COUNTY
The Indians also are a team in the rebuilding mode. But the numbers have almost doubled from 2019 for coach Caleb Sorrells and his staff.
How the coaching staff is able to integrate a big freshman class while also tweaking both the offense and defense in their second season may determine if they can climb back into playoff contention.
We caught up with Sorrells to discuss both topics as they prepare for the 2020 campaign.
QUESTION: Coach, you have a lot of youth, mainly in the freshman class, on your team in your second season. That is both good and bad when it comes to experience. What are your expectations for the freshmen as you and your staff continue to try and build the Indians?
ANSWER: To learn and commit to our values and then to our fundamentals. This is a great group of kids and they've put in some great work this summer. Their freshmen year is obviously going to look a little different from any in the past, so it will be important for them to be able to maintain focus on the important things, control what they can control, and treat obstacles as opportunities for growth. And it will be huge for them stay together, believe in each other, and continue building the brotherhood that football creates.
QUESTION: You are in a revamped Region 7-3A which many consider to be wide-open. What will it take for the Indians to be playoff contenders in 2020?
ANSWER: Great conditioning, because we will have a lot of two-way players. Also, staying healthy, and having some sophomores grow up quickly and perform to their potential.
- Previously in Two-a-Days: LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: NORTH HALL
