By Cinthia Rico Last Friday, DeKalb and Jackson Counties’ head football coaches and selected players gathered at the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center in Rainsville for a preseason football media day.
As the start of the 2023 high school football season drew near, coaches and players discussed their anticipation, hopes, and objectives before taking the field with a clean slate.
At this point, every team is optimistic about the upcoming season. Here are some of the highlights from Friday:
Valley Head eyes on playoffs: The Valley Head Tigers’ goal, according to head football coach Charles Hammond, who’s entering his third consecutive season at the helm, said their goal is to finish the regular season with a winning record and qualify for the postseason regardless of their seed position.
Ider Hornets look towards a healthy season: Preparing for his third season, Ider’s head football coach Chad Grant said, among many aspects, his team has emphasized conditioning in hopes of avoiding injuries this season.
Collinsvilles’ ready to tackle demanding schedule: Veteran head football coach Ernie Willingham said the Panthers’ summer has been productive, and the team’s efforts and attitude have been exceptional. “We know our schedule is very demanding from top to bottom,” he said. “This is a new team, we can’t settle for last year’s results, and new guys must step up into leadership roles.”
Sylvania enters the season with a winning mindset: “Expectations are high,” said Sylvania’s third-season head football coach Tyler Vann. “We take it game by game. If you look at our schedule, we play one of the toughest schedules, I think, in North Alabama. There’s not a week off; we got to prepare the right way every day, and that makes us better. It makes this team better.”
Plainview looking forward to a stronger season: Season head coach Dale Pruitt said physically, overall, the team is stronger than last year. With players who can juggle several positions and team leaders stepping up, the Bears hope to turn things around. “I’ve been around for a year. The kids know what to expect now because every coach is a little bit different.”
Geraldine focused on the upcoming season’s play week by week: Football coach Michael Davis, in his third season leading the Bulldogs, said with some really good teams in the area, his team focuses on being the best version of themselves week in and week out.
Fyffe Red Devils concentrated on the present challenge: Speaking of expectations, veteran head football coach Paul Benefield said he and his team take each game of the season as it comes and don’t think about games two or three months from now; instead they focus on the present challenge.
Fort Payne ready to make waves one game at a time: With a challenging schedule, season head football coach Chris Elmore said the Wildcats focused on handling their business day-to-day and week-to-week.
Full interviews from the 2023 Football Media Days can be found at Mountain Valley News Facebook page.
Also last week, Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Executive Director Alvin Briggs reaffirmed the AHSAA would uphold its commitments to play its state championship Super 7 series in the three community rotations, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, and Birmingham during the sixth annual East Alabama High School Media Days held at the Bottling Plant Event Center in Opelika.
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