There are just 18 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)...
WEST HALL (4-6 in 2024; did not make the playoffs)
The Spartans were not far off from a playoff spot last year but come into 2025 with more than a few questions, not to mention a first-time head coach in Naji Lyon. The biggest loss is at quarterback where three-year starter Brett Sturm transferred out to Flowery Branch. But if they canfind the right guy among a crowded QB room, and fit the rest in some key spots, they could be more competitive than many expect.
We caught up with Coach Lyon to see how the transition has been for him and his staff and where they are in a spirited QB battle this summer.
QUESTION: Coach, you are more than familiar with the program. But it’s also your first head coaching job. What have been some of the challenges on and off the field so far this offseason?
ANSWER: So far, there have been both challenges and pleasant surprises with this job. The biggest challenge has been losing some players that were starters last year, that when I was hired, I thought would be on this year's team. Players like Brett Sturm and Shelton Maynard are hard to replace. I'm not sure why, but our numbers are down and we just don't have that many players. So the biggest challenge is needing more players on the roster. However, the best surprise is the quality of individuals that are on this team. We have some really great kids. Our team culture is very positive, and these players are fun to coach. They are eager learners and hard workers, so that is promising.
QUESTION: Of course, the biggest offseason question is the QB spot. Y’all had three guys initially battling for the starting job. How has that battle come along and who is emerging so far in the summer?
ANSWER: Like I said before, replacing a three-year starter [Sturm] at QB1 is not easy. We have several guys taking snaps right now, and we will continue to do it that way so we can find the rotation that gives us the best chance to score. EJ Radich and Nate Eury both played a bit of JV quarterback last year, so they are both in the mix, as well as also playing defense and WR. Nasser Aliou is also taking some snaps and is very athletic. Other players like Ben Phelps and Ridge Mesidor are rotating in at QB as well. As an Offensive Coordinator, my job is to adapt my offensive system to the talent and players we have, so that is the focus this summer. The good news is that, like I said earlier, our players are all willing to learn and play whatever position they need to. They are really unselfish.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: WHITE COUNTY
- Previous Two-a-Days: UNION COUNTY
