There are just 23 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2025 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)...
LUMPKIN COUNTY (7-4 in 2024; 1st round Class 3A playoffs)
After a record-breaking season in 2023, the Indians took a step back last year. And they will come into this season with plenty of questions after the graduation of Cal Faulkner (now at Georgia Tech) and virtually the entire receiving corps.
But Coach Heath Webb already has begun to build a consistent winner in Dahlonega and has a young roster ready to prove themselves at the high school level. We caught up with Webb to ask how the QB and receiver searches were coming along in the spring and summer.
QUESTION: Coach, the elephant in the room this offseason is who would replace Cal Faulkner at quarterback. Mason Hester was the early front-runner with several others getting some looks. How has that battle shaped up during the summer?
ANSWER: We've got three very capable guys in Mason Hester, Carson Horton and Kolson Howell. Hester is the front-runner but all three of these guys will be on the field for us whether it be wide receiver or defensive back or both.
QUESTION: Y’all are also retooling the receiving corps. Who are some guys that have started to emerge in that room?
ANSWER: I'm excited about this new group of receivers. They might be new to the lineup but they are talented. Martin Hulsey is a 6-foot-6, athletic kid with very good ball skills. Mac Powell is a 6-5 guy that can run and he has had a tremendous spring and summer for us. Those two will be matchup problems for folks. Wolf Harbin is a speedster as the reigning region champ in the 100-meters. Horton and Howell will play big roles here as well. Mike Nichols at tight end is also a threat. This is the most complete group of WRs we've had in my time at Lumpkin.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: NORTH FORSYTH
- Previous Two-a-Days: LANIER CHRISTIAN
