While technically, the new football season for Winder-Barrow High School does not begin until Aug. 27, you wouldn’t have known it judging from last Friday evening at W. Clair Harris Stadium.
Even the threat of thunderstorms (thunder and lightning moved through the area a couple of hours before kickoff) could dampen the enthusiasm of the home crowd. Dacula was paying a visit for a preseason scrimmage but Friday seemed like more than that for the WBHS faithful. Eager to see what the players had been learning and working for during the past several months, an impressive turnout of fans was on hand. In the end, they saw many things which should leave them optimistic for the future.
When the scrimmage was over, Dacula had recorded a 27-21 win but Friday was about so much more than the final score.
The Bulldoggs showed flashes of what lies ahead for their team and program. New head coach David Wagner displayed that high level of enthusiasm he showed while defensive coordinator at Apalachee the past several seasons. Whenever his defense made a stop or made a big play, Wagner would run to his players coming off the field to greet them. Winder-Barrow High School football 2010 is something different no doubt.
Does the team have a ways to go? Sure. The Bulldoggs are certainly still a work in progress.
However, if you looked hard enough you could see the makings of something special. It won’t happen overnight. It won’t happen in a single game or even a single season.
Yet, the bricks are being put in place for a foundation of success. The coaching staff and players will settle for nothing less.
When it was all over Friday night, it felt good to see a football game live again and it felt good to see the support of the people in the stands as they turned out in a large number to start the 2010 season.
It felt the best, however, seeing the hard work and dedication put in by the WBHS players beginning to pay off — even at this early juncture. It will be fun to see how things turn out this fall. Football is back and it’s hard to beat watching a game at the local stadium.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
