Football practice officially gets under way in Georgia on Friday.
For the East Jackson Eagles, it’s the beginning of another chapter in the school’s history, as they prepare to enter their first season of region play.
Head football coach Frank Caputo said he and his team are ready to get things started.
“I feel like we’ve had a really good summer session,” he said. “I think the kids have responded well. Our numbers were down just a little bit, which was a little disappointing, but I’m sure they’ll get back up once we get back in school. With such a young team, I think transportation becomes a problem. But I think the kids are really as anxious to get started and ready to go as we are.”
Around 120 kids attended spring football practice back in May, with about 82 kids returning from the previous year.
Just as with the spring sessions, the focus for the Eagles has been making sure the team remembers the basics when it hits the field.
“We’ve been stressing the basic fundamentals all summer long,” Caputo said. “Things like taking the correct angles, throwing the ball in certain little windows, things of that nature.
“I think we have to continue on our fundamentals, our blocking, how we’re going to tackle, and how we run. I think that’s what we’re going to continue doing.”
The Eagles wrapped up their 2007 season with a 5-5 record, and will look to their returning players with the loss of nine seniors.
But, Caputo said, there are other changes within the team that increase expectations.
“We’re going to make some adjustments to last year, but we were physically small and physically weak last year,” he said. “We have gotten a lot bigger and a lot stronger, and even a lot faster this year. With that being said, our expectation for this year is a little bit higher than what we had last year.”
Caputo added that the move up into region play this year means nothing can be taken for granted.
“We didn’t always play last year with the kind of intensity that we needed to, because I think some of the kids took for granted that it didn’t count for anything. Now, everything counts. We’re in a region, and you cannot afford to falter on any Friday night. One loss can knock you out of the playoffs if you’re not careful.
“We have to make sure our guys are mentally prepared each week, and ready to accept the challenge of playing in this region.”
The Eagles will play their first game of the 2008 season on Aug. 29, when they travel to West Hall to face the Spartans. Their first region contest and first home game will take place against Fannin County.
