NOTE: There are only 31 days left until the start of the 2015 high school football season -- both around the state and right here in northeast Georgia. With that in mind, AccessWDUN is already in full preparation mode. Over the next three weeks we will give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for 2015 with our "Two-A-Days" series. We will bring you two key questions -- and answers -- for each program in our coverage area, twice a day. Each morning will start a new program, with another highlighted each afternoon. And at the end of each week we will also provide some video footage and commentary from area coaches. Programs will run in alphabetical order.
The 2014 season proved a learning experience for much of the North Hall football program -- including some of the coaches.
An extraordinarily young team was led by a re-shuffled staff that featured a newly promoted head coach in David Bishop. Yet it was clear that a young team was making huge strides as the season waned, winning two of its last three games en route to a 2-8 record.
Yet youth and injuries -- even at the quarterback position -- are no excuse, and players and coaches at North Hall have much higher expectations than 2-8. And this season they expect to start making good on those expectations.
We recently talked with Bishop about the strides the program has made en route to the dawn of this season.
QUESTION: What did you take from last season? How has that played into this season’s preparations?
ANSWER: You can never be prepared to be a head coach until you’re there. And I don’t think the Xs and Os was a big thing, but all the other stuff that goes into it, that you never really have your hands on as an assistant... that’s kind of the stuff I was able to take away because there is so much. And you can’t do it all as a head coach, so you’ve got to really rely on your assistants, and I’m blessed to have a great staff that’s willing to help and do whatever’s necessary to get done what we need to get done. Being young last year was a benefit in a way, though the schedule was definitely not easy. Last I knew, MaxPreps had our schedule ranked sixth hardest in AAAA. And to play that many young kids and to come through fairly healthy with our young kids is kind of exciting coming into this year.
QUESTION: You suffered some injuries, specifically at the quarterback position, last season. What does that mean for the quarterback position this season?
ANSWER: Right now to be honest with you Drew (Atha) is injured again (Atha ended the 2014 season as the starter at QB). He just got out of a boot, so that’s the stuff we’re going to have to deal with. And then last year... having that situation and allowing the back-up young kids to get some experience was obviously a benefit to us, so they’ve matured in the process as well. I feel real comfortable going into the season this year at our quarterback spot with two kids that have experience on the varsity that we had last year. Jackson Madonna played a good portion last year early on. (NOTE: Bishop went on to add that Atha could be ready for the start of fall practice: I’m hoping so. When you’re in a boot you lose your flexibility, so he’s going to have get back on that. He’s been doing some light jogging and trying to get a little bit of that flexibility back in that Achilles.)
COMING UP NEXT: Rabun County
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/7/324259/two-a-days-north-hall