There are just 24 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2024 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign began months ago. And teams throughout northeast Georgia already are 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)
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (5-6 in 2023; 1st round GISA playoffs)
The Lions won three of their final four games in 2023 to get into the playoffs. But this year they will have to rely on a slew of underclassmen as half of their summer roster are freshmen.
They will have junior quarterback Kyari Burch back but finding the pieces around him will be the challenge as they had just 20 players during the summer.
Second-year coach Lee Coleman said they will utilize everyone in the program as they try and back into the GIAA playoffs for a third consecutive season.
QUESTION: Coach, the biggest challenge seems to be just shear numbers this summer. How are y’all working around that as you try and get prepared for the season?
A: That is correct. We had a terrific offseason where guys got bigger, faster, and stronger to help with the number situation. However, we do have 22 kids this season. Better than last year, but still low comparable to others, so our focus and making sure that we are in great shape since our guys must play all 3 phases. Fundamentals are another key focus that we preach. We pride ourselves on having the best players on field regardless of numbers. Our message to the kids is “they can only put 11 on the field!” Therefore, there is no excuse not to perform at a high level. It is our job to build the mentality of our guys and not give excuses due to our low numbers.
Q: The defense was led by a solid linebacking group in 2023. But you have some holes to fill along the line and in the secondary. Who are some guys that have stepped up at those two spots?
A: Kyari Burch leads that group, and we moved our OLB in Junior Thompson to safety this year. That helps us with experience. We added a senior CB in Keelan Harper, who has been an excellent cover corner this summer. We also picked up a young CB in Haiden Williamson, who arguably has the best feet on the team. I am eager to see how these guys perform on the back end this year. The defensive line will be young as we will more than likely have a couple of freshmen starting there. However, they are guys that came in ready to play. We got a chance to see those guys at a padded camp and loved what they brought to the table. Jackson Kohler will be leader of the defensive line this year. His motor continues to work at a high level. I am excited to see how he leads this young group that we have in that position.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: LANIER CHRISTIAN
- Previous Two-a-Days: JOHNSON
