There are just 32 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2024 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign began 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)
CHESTATEE (0-10 in 2023; did not qualify for playoffs)
The War Eagles are coming off a winless season and struggled to implement new systems and philosophies under new coach Stuart Cunningham. But as they get ready for the 2024 campaign, advances on both sides of the ball are underway.
They return their top two leading rushers and a spirited four-way quarterback battle during the summer should yield options in their wing-T attack. However, improvement on defense has also been a priority.
Cunningham offered his assessment of the difference between Year 1 and Year 2 during summer practices.
QUESTION: The program has undergone many changes from Year 1 to Year 2. What have been the biggest noticeable differences so far this summer?
A: Our strength level is way above where we were last season at any point, which should help us with execution in all phases of the game.
Q: Y’all came into the summer with a four-way battle at quarterback. Has anyone begun to emerge out of that group?
A: We have two guys with more game experience [senior Colton Steele and junior Gage Reese] than Chase Nix and Isaiah Sanders, which is the only difference right now. All four guys are still battling it out for the position.
BONUS QUESTION: Defense was again an issue last season. How have changes to that side of the ball been going so far in the offseason?
A: Defense wasn't the entire problem last season. It was a combination of things. Turnovers, poor special team play, fatigue at the end of the second quarter and fourth quarters where the defense needed to play at a higher level. Some changes have been made but the biggest is mentality and that will continue to evolve as the summer (and fall) continues.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: COMMERCE
- Previous Two-a-Days: CHEROKEE BLUFF
