There are just 19 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)
RIVERSIDE PREP (0-9 in 2023; did not qualify for playoffs)
The Eagles suffered through a rough 2023 and now will be under new management with long-time coach Jeff Lee taking over the program.
Among several philosophical approaches, they also will be changing the offense to a triple-option attack.
We asked Coach Lee what have been his main priorities since arriving at one of the longest-running programs in the state.
QUESTION: Coach, Riverside is one of the more unique programs in the state, especially when it comes to the summer and fall practices. What has been the main focus so far in getting things turned around?
A: This has definitely been a different summer when it comes to preparing a football team for an upcoming season. In the past, at other schools, I have been able to get all of our players during the summer to get the preparation in to start the season on the same foot as everyone else. While at Riverside it has been a different preparation. Most of our players are not what I call a "local" student. It has been a lot like when we played college football back in the day, before schools started bringing in players to campus for the summer. The positive out of this is that it will build our accountability to each other, to become a stronger bond. So, it has been a learning curve for me as well as for them and their families also. We will not be able to start until this Sunday (the 28th), which many look at as a negative. But we are able to bring our guys on campus and have a camp for over a week and a half, before school starts. We will have them for football for 8 hours a day. The positive is that we can have a true preseason camp, much like the daytime frame that the NFL uses for camp.
Q: You’re switching the offense to a triple-option. How has that transition gone during the summer?
A: We are using a form of an option-based offense out of the pistol, which still allows us to have a passing game. (Quarterbacks) JJ Blackmon and Jeremiah Riley both have the skill set to be very potent in this offense. When our offense is executed, it allows us to control the tempo of the game. It fits who we are perfectly.
BONUS QUESTION: Who are some guys that look like they could make an impact for y’all this season on both sides of the ball?
A: JJ, a sophomore, and Jeremiah, a junior, both will play QB/DB, when not at QB and will be on the field at another skill position. Some of the OL/DL guys that we are counting on are junior Mason Bryan, sophomore Isaiah Simpson, seniors Cadien Vercruysse and Blaise Ouvier, junior Anthony Mader and sophomore Luis Alberto. Vercruysse has the most potential/experience out of that group and is one of only three seniors that we have. Junior Michael Omeh has been a pleasant surprise at tight end and defensive end and will be counted on for making a big impact this year. Junior Jacques Chiller should be the fullback and lead the linebackers. Sophomore Cade Williams has potential to be a very dynamic player on both sides. Senior Agboje Farouq has been the biggest surprise out of the spring. He has never played football but may have the biggest opportunities of anyone based on his athletic ability and desire to be the very best at what he does. He represents what Riverside is all about.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: TOWNS COUNTY
- Previous Two-a-Days: RABUN COUNTY
