There are just 30 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)
EAST FORSYTH (7-4 in 2023; 1st round Class 4A playoffs)
The Broncos are under new management as Dustin Canon takes over for the retired Brian Allison, who led them to their first-ever playoff appearance in 2023.
He inherits several key pieces from last year’s 7-win team, including senior quarterback Brock Szackacs, who already has more than 20 career starts under his belt.
We caught up with Canon to see how the Broncos summer has gone and who is ready to make an impact for the fourth-year program.
QUESTION: Y’all have several key guys back on both sides of the ball. But you are having to rework your offensive line after graduating three starters. How are things looking up front and who are some guys that seem ready to make a push as starters?
A: There is no doubt we must replace a few talented players up front. That is the beauty of high school football. Each year provides new opportunities for hungry players awaiting their time. We are lucky to have a few guys up front who have played a lot of meaningful snaps already in their career. Rick Wiggins and Ethan Mooneyham are two seniors who have started games for us, and we will be relying on them early in the year to get the other guys up to speed. We have a few guys who will look to earn the opportunity at the other spots. Caleb Harding, Jaxon Mayo, and AR Ristic are all guys who have had a tremendous offseason. We will see how they continue to develop as we progress through the rest of summer and into non-region play.
Q: Y’all like to run the ball first but how important is it to establish a little more of a passing game in 2024? Who are some guys that are ready to breakout among the receivers/tight ends?
A: We want to be a physical and hard-nosed football team so we will always put a premium on running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense. We have some guys returning at the skill positions like Andrew Frank and Jackson Norman. You will also see some new faces this season out wide in DJ Haskell, Trent Polk, Tate Lamb, and Grant Barden. Chase Rhoads has had a great offseason as well. He will play receiver but has also been taking snaps at quarterback. He is developing well at both positions, and I believe he will have a great year.
BONUS QUESTION: And speaking of quarterback, senior Brock Zsackacs returns and has had a pair of pretty good seasons. Is he ready to have a breakout season?
A: Brock has had a tremendous offseason. His arm strength has improved but I am most pleased with his leadership. He has come a long way in terms of competitive maturity and taking charge of the offense. Coach Boudreau has done a great job pushing Brock each day and I look forward to watching him let it rip this fall.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: EAST HALL
- Previous Two-a-Days: DAWSON COUNTY
