There are just 23 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)...
NORTH HALL
The Trojans, with a new coach and a new offensive system, struggled at times in 2022 but also managed to be in the playoff race over the final three weeks of the season. But they are in their second season in Sean Pender's spread offense and quarterback Tanner Marsh looks the part and the offense could be ready to take off in 2023.
The issue will be on the defensive side, where they are battling depth concerns in what will be a very difficult Region 8-4A once again. We caught up with Pender to discuss the defense and a healthy Marsh on offense.
QUESTION: Building depth on defense has been a priority this offseason. How is that plan coming along so far during the summer? Who have been some standouts?
A: The defensive line is where we have seen the most improvement on defense with depth. Defensive depth is still a big concern. Landon Potter and Matthew Arceo are two returning starters on the D-line. Luke Tyner had a lot of playing time last year and has made huge improvements. Adding Zeke Ortiz and Charlie Wright to the roster has also helped boost our depth at D-line. Our linebacker play is anchored by Trey Patterson and Zeke Harris both returning starters from last year and they were one and two in leading our team in tackles. Conner Free, Mason Kerrick, and Charley Dyer all return in the secondary. Walker Davis and Jake Cark will also be joining the defensive backfield.
Q: Quarterback Tanner Marsh looks 100 percent since last year’s injury. Is he ready for that breakout season in 2023?
A: Absolutely. He is a dual threat QB that plays the position with a mentality of a linebacker. Tanner has worked extremely hard and we expect to see the results on Friday nights.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: RABUN COUNTY
- Previous Two-a-Days: NORTH FORSYTH
