Almost immediately after a game is complete on Friday night, preparation for the next contest begins.
At Apalachee High School, head coach Shane Davis and other assistants work all day Friday on game day and then well into the early morning hours Saturday. For these coaches, it’s all part of the requirements of being successful.
Davis said after games on Friday nights, the Wildcat coaches will meet, eat a meal comprised of leftover food from the booster club and begin burning DVDs of their game. While copies are being made, various position coaches are already breaking down their respective areas.
“All coaches grade their respective positions,” Davis said. “Each coach gets a copy of the game and most will take it home and watch it more there. Myself and others will even stay Friday night and watch it then.”
By Saturday morning, the AHS coaching staff will meet and begin watching the games of the upcoming opponent.
A designated assistant makes the drive to exchange DVDs, usually between 7:30-8 a.m.
By 9 a.m. the coaches’ meeting begins and will continue until noon or 1 p.m.
Copies of the opponent’s game are made and assistants often taken them home as well for further study.
The coaches meet again on Sundays at 2 p.m. and work “until finished,” Davis said.
Offensive and defensive coaches split up and meet separately. Special teams work is also focused on.
“It can get long with us going four hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday, sometimes longer,” Davis said. “Plus, coaches watch games at home. I like to break up our meetings into two days so we don’t have one very long day. I know it can be rough watching film after a game Friday, but it’s something we feel we have to do.”
The opponent will determine how many games are viewed. For this week’s second-round game against Marist, the AHS coaches have broken down five games.
“You look at certain things that you feel will be beneficial to you,” Davis said. “If a game is a blowout, then you aren’t going to gain much by watching the very end of it. We watch to get formation tendencies and plays of our opponents.”
