There are just 25 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2023 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign got underway months ago. And teams throughout northeast Georgia already 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 spring practice went, how the summer is going, and what coaches believe the fall will look like. Our "Two-a-Days" series honors 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)...
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
The Lions made their second-ever playoff appearance last season in the GIAA but lost in the first round. Then Lee Shaw, who took them to both playoff appearances in his three years, left for Metter in south Georgia. Enter former East Hall standout Lee Coleman, who comes over from Georgia Military Prep, where he led the Bulldogs to three consecutive trips to the playoffs.
But Coleman has had to navigate a wild offseason of player defections out of the program and then integrate some new transfers into the program as well. We asked Coleman about all the changes and about breaking in a new quarterback while he also installs new systems on both sides of the ball.
QUESTION: With so much roster turnover since last season, how has the process gone of integrating a lot of new faces into the program? Have you seen the numbers begin to creep back up over the summer?
A: The process has been a smooth transition. The new guys have adapted well in the new environment, while the old players have accepted the new guys flawlessly. We are continuing to build comradery within our program. The numbers are starting to creep back up after the loss of many guys from last year’s team. The guys understand that we are shorthanded. However, they are starting to buy into the new environment of hard work. Fortunately, many of the guys returning have already endured having to play both ways from last season, so this year should not be to much of a surprise.
Q: Y’all are going to break in a new, young quarterback in sophomore Kyari Burch. How has his development been coming along during the summer?
A: Kyari has been exceptional for us this offseason. He continues to improve each day. His work ethic and leadership qualities will help us to win games this season. The team has rallied around him and are following his lead. I am excited to see how he develops throughout the year.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: LANIER CHRISTIAN
- Previous Two-a-Days: JOHNSON
