Football junkies like myself are always in need of a fix this time of the year.
The final game of the previous season is weeks behind us and it’s still a long road ahead before the first games of the new season kick off. Locally, the football teams at Winder-Barrow High School and Apalachee High School are returning to the practice field this week which can only mean the 2011 season is beginning to come into view.
There is much to accomplish during the 10 days which are allotted for the Bulldoggs and the Wildcats. For second-year WBHS coach David Wagner, it will be about making even more steps in building the program. While Wagner knows improvements were made last fall, the coach wants to see results. That means putting some “W’s” in the record book this season.
“The coaches and I realize we made strides in a lot of areas in our first season,” Wagner said. “However, it’s time for us to show improvement in the number of wins. That’s what we are looking to do this fall.”
With so much being new for the Bulldoggs a year ago, it stands to reason things should run a little smooth the second time around. The offense won’t be new this time. The defense won’t be new. The coaching staff won’t be new (all but one member of the 2010 staff returns.)
One area the Bulldoggs have made tremendous strides in is the strength department.
“Some of our players are twice as strong at this point than they were a year ago,” Wagner said. “They have really taken to our weight program and are putting in the effort it takes to be successful.”
Across the way at Apalachee, coach Shane Davis will look to guide his Wildcats back to the postseason after a 6-4 record in 2010.
AHS just missed the playoffs and Davis has let it be known that making the postseason is a goal for his team every season, not just every now and then.
“Spring is always a good starting point for us in terms of getting back on the field and seeing what we need to work on,” Davis said this week as he prepared for the start of spring work Thursday. “We lost some talent but we also have some good talent coming back. It will take work but that is always going to be the case.”
Region 8-AAAA figures to be a grueling setup again this fall. The Bulldoggs and Wildcats will look to make plenty of noise once the season arrives. That preparation, which has actually been going on for months, moves into a higher gear this week with spring practice.
And for those who crave a little gridiron action, the players from WBHS and AHS will be back on the field later this week. They won’t be holding on for millions more in pay. They’ll simply be on the field for the love of the sport. How refreshing is that?
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
