There are just 21 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2023 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign began months ago. And teams throughout northeast Georgia are already 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)...
UNION COUNTY
The Panthers are coming off just their second-ever playoff win in 2022 and return the bulk of a group -- 14 starters overall -- who improved by five games from 2021 to last season. They are being considered a possible dark horse to challenge for the Region 8-2A title.
But there are some question marks. We asked coach Michael Perry about rebuilding the offensive line and replacing two key spots on defense.
QUESTION: Y'all are having to rework the offensive line. How is that unit shaping up heading into the fall?
A: We have had to shuffle some of the older returning guys that we have back, but Cody Meeks, Mayo Collins-Spiva, and Kaden Combs are providing great leadership traits for the younger guys to kind of show them how things should be done. We have some younger players that are going to have to grow up smart, but we as coaches have to be smart, helping these guys out and putting the younger guys in a position to be successful.
Q: Y'all also have to replace both of your outside linebackers from last year. Who looks ready to step at those spots so far?
A: We lost some very good linebackers from last year's team, but Kooper Ashcraft is a returning starter who has a knack for making plays. Seth Rutan, who we ask a lot of, is going to play an integral spot for us, and we are looking forward to seeing how he sets the tone for us on defense.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: WEST HALL
- Previous Two-a-Days: TOWNS COUNTY
