There are just 19 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)...
WEST HALL
The Spartans suffered a rough 2022 campaign with defections before the season started and a slew of injuries once it got underway. But that also allowed a young team to get valuable varsity experience.
Coach Krofton Montgomery is hoping that will pay off in 2023 with a team that could be talented enough to surprise people in Region 7-3A.
We caught up with Montgomery to discuss some changes on the offense and how a young defensive group is coming along this summer.
QUESTION: A young team last year, y'all return 15 starters overall. Eight of those are back on offense, along with a new coordinator. How has their progress over the spring and summer come along?
A: We have a lot of kids returning with experience on the field on a Friday Night. Alex Crawford is the new OC and has brought an offense that fits our personnel for 2023, and I like the direction we are headed in. Mentally, physically, and maturity-wise, we are a different team than a year ago but got a long way to go still. Brett Sturm is returning as our starting QB after starting 10 games as a freshman, which is a huge difference in recognition and speed of the game going on. Bryce Reed is a three-year starter on the OL, and we expect him and Jay Nero to anchor the front along with Tytres Statha, who started 10 games as a sophomore. Daniel Altamarino, Nassar Aliou, Wyatt Yandel, Marcus Pugh, and Keyvan Allen give us some players at the receiver spots that have been improving and learning the offense. At running back, we have Zac Wagner, a rising sophomore; Elijah Hayes, a rising junior with big play potential; and Maliek Richardson, who is a weapon if he is healthy. At tight end, we have Riley Packard and Aiden Rainey, both of whom are really versatile blockers and pass catchers. Overall, I'm excited about the direction.
Q: Y'all return seven on defense, which was also young last year. What kind of progress has that group been making in the offseason?
A: This is a group that, when we get some things ironed out, I feel is going to have an identity where our players can play fast and physical. We have the core pieces in place. It's about working on the small things to get us where we want to be. Riley Packard is our returning first team all region player on the defensive side. Matt Hale, Maliek Richardson, Keyvan Allen, Tyson Slipper, Nick Davidson, Jay Nero, Zac Wagner, Tobias Perez, and Wyatt Yandel are all players that we are looking to be impact players for us.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: WHITE COUNTY
- Previous Two-a-Days: UNION COUNTY
