There are just 31 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2023 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign began months ago. And teams throughout northeast Georgia are already 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)...
COMMERCE
Building depth and toughness has been a priority for Tigers coach Mark Hollars. After a pair of 6-5 seasons and early first-round playoff exits, he is hoping his group can embrace both during the summer and fall.
However, a young linebacking group may be the key in 2023. It also doesn't hurt that they have now-junior running back Jaiden Daniels, who has racked up over 1,400 in 2022 and has found the end zone 33 times in his first two seasons.
We checked in with Hollars to see how the summer has gone as they try and get ready for another tough Region 8-A Division 1 with the likes of Rabun County and Elbert County.
QUESTION: You have a young but talented linebacking group. How is that unit coming along as you try and find the right combinations for the defense?
A: Bryson Fleeman is a junior and got some meaningful playing time at the end of last season. The rest of the guys are excited about the opportunity to earn playing time. Tysean Wiggins has had a great off-season and is showing tremendous growth. We have a newcomer in Hoke Poe that is learning the position and brings a physicality to the position as well.
Q: Jaiden Daniels already is one of the best running backs in the area, if not the state. How much better can this kid get over his final two seasons?
A: Jaiden has established himself as an outstanding RB over the past two seasons. He has worked hard in the off-season to add strength and size as his body matures. Everyone sees Jaiden's physical gifts on game day. What is harder to see is Jaiden's understanding of how our run schemes work. He has tremendous vision and a good grasp of how our run concepts build on one another. Intelligence and experience will be an asset as Jaiden goes into year three of varsity football.
We talk a lot about staying hungry and healthy. Jaiden is a competitor and has gained an appreciation for the type of work that is necessary in order to reach one's full potential. We want his hunger to be contagious and help feed the entire team. Jaiden has made strides this summer in being a leader with his energy level in practice.
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