There are just 24 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)...
LANIER CHRISTIAN
The Lightning had a break out season in 2022 making the GAPPS 11-man semifinals and return several several key players, including quarterback CJ Britt. However, they will have to replace the production of running back Zeke Clanton, who transferred out over the offseason.
Coach Bruce Miller said the program continuing to grow and building off last season's success is crucial. We caught up with Miller to see what progress is being made in the offensive backfield and how a young defense is moving forward so far in the summer.
QUESTION: You are having to replace the production of running back Zeke Clanton. Senior Shepard Acton, sophomore Isaiah Reddick, and freshman Benjamin Moore all are battling for that starting spot. Has anyone stepped up to claim the spot or will it be more by committee early on?
A: It looks like Isaiah is taking the lead at running back. We would really like to leave Shepard Acton at receiver because he is such a threat, but we will also use him in the backfield and Benjamin Moore has showed a lot of potential this summer. It's going to be exciting to see (how they progress in their roles).
Q: The defense will be young overall. How has the development of some of the younger players gone so far during the summer?
A: Our defense is coming along just fine. We are going to be real young early but we hope to get better and gain experience as we go through the season.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: LUMPKIN COUNTY
- Previous Two-a-Days: LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
