There are just 18 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.
AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night will get you prepped for the start of the regular season on Sept. 4. Teams across the area will begin with scrimmages on Aug. 21 & 28.
LANIER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
LCA began the 2019 season on fire, winning the first three of four games. But the Lightning struggled down the stretch with six straight losses to end the season 3-7. In 2020, LCA is relaunching its football program with a new coach and a new plan in 2020. That plan includes 8-man football instead of 11-man.
Administrators and coaches hope the move to 8-man football will lead to growth, and new coach Heath Kennedy believes, although temporary, it will benefit the community and others around the area.
The good thing for the Lightning is they have several returning starters returning, including quarterback Andrew Perry, receiver Wyatt Cash, running back Isaiah Williams and key defender Carter Raulerson.
We asked Kennedy how the transition is going and his thoughts on the 2020 campaign.
QUESTION: You take over for coach Anderson this season, and the Lightning have shifted from 11-man to 8-man football, do you feel will be the drop to 8-man will be a positive for the growth of the program?
ANSWER: When I first accepted the job back in early May, I was concerned that the transition from 11-man to 8-man meant the number of football players and the program may be on the decline. However, as we began our voluntary workouts in June, it was clear LCA and the football program are in a temporary place of transition. Our belief is we are positioned for a “Relaunch” that will lead to marked growth and change which will benefit our community and others around us.
QUESTION: You have some experience returning in Perry, Cash, Williams and Raulerson, what is key in putting together a winning season in 2020?
ANSWER: We are excited about our returning players as it is always important to have continuity within the program. There are many variables to will define our success in 2020. We teach our student-athletes to 'run in such a way that we may win.' Our focus is to utilize the game of football as a “vehicle” to teach these young men how to “Compete for Christ”. In addition, we monitor our players in the classroom setting high expectations. As a community, we place high values on how our players represent in the community.
My desire is to ensure that our student-athletes know how to compete for others, how to model what a student-athlete should be in the classroom, and how to take those principles into our community to make a positive impact. In closing, I can assure you we are working hard on making sure we are sound in blocking and tackling which is key in how successful we will be on the field this season. Perry, Williams, Cash, and Raulerson are leading the way for our program.
- Previously in Two-a-Days: WHITE COUNTY
