WARRENVILLE, S.C. --- Area high school football coaches gathered together Wednesday for one last chance to sit down, relax and chat with colleagues before another hectic preseason officially begins.
Evans coach Marty Jackson, Lakeside's Jarrett Troxler, Richmond Academy's Chris Hughes and Greenbrier's Brian Smith filled one end of a table at Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet during the annual All-Area Football Head Coaches Barbecue Kickoff, sponsored by The Augusta Chronicle and WRDW-TV.
Less than a week before official practices begin, the four coaches were able to take a deep breath before diving into the 2010 season.
"It's a fun time, but there's a lot of work to do," Jackson said.
South Carolina high school teams are allowed to start practicing Friday. The practice period begins Sunday for Georgia teams, and area private schools can begin practicing on Monday.
South Aiken will be among the first teams in South Carolina to take the field. The Thoroughbreds, under new coach Jeremy West, will step on the field at 12:01 a.m. Friday for a midnight workout.
West said the team will practice until 2 a.m. before spending the night at the school, then hitting the practice field again at 10 a.m. Saturday.
"It's a way to generate some more excitement around the program," West said. "We can't go full pads 'til Tuesday anyway, so we're going to get in a little work and hopefully it'll be a team bonding experience."
Teams will have at least three weeks to prepare before the season begins.
It's a time to bond with teammates and get acclimated to the summer heat that typically sticks around through at least the first month of games.
A new season also brings new hope at Butler, where the Bulldogs hope to finally shake off the burden of a 41-game losing streak that stretches back to 2005.
"Everybody's tired of the streak," Butler coach Ashley Harden said. "That's one motivating factor. Our senior class doesn't want to go out 0-40, so everybody wants to be the one to turn that around."
The first area games are scheduled for Aug. 20, but most teams will begin their seasons Aug. 27.
Where is the Christians' outrage at this public flaunting of gluttony?
Notice that every time a great coach does well in this county, history has shown that the coach figures out over time that the lack of support in the county will not sustain him and eventually leaves (See Parker leaving Laney, Starr leaving Josey).
Head coaches are paid $6K total for the year, a complete JOKE compared to top football counties. Other counties have their JV coaches make more. By the way, this has been in place long before the budget issues were a factor.
Understand having the pay be low now, but don't expect top flight coaches to come work for RC or up-and-comers to stay long; they will figure out that football is #3 in the county behind basketball and baseball, even though football is the top moneymaker.
Coach you are absolutely correct. Augusta is not or anywhere near the radar of most of the college coaches around the country. It is due to the overall poor management of not only the athletics programs at the schools but (OF COURSE) the pathetic state of the schools in general...A winning program HELPS TREMENDOUSLY instill pride in a school...it just is a fact of life. Of course you have to have good teachers and super parental involvement but it can be centered around or at least energized by a winning football program. (Especially here in the south) This is a no brainer but that is precisely who we have leading the public schools these days....
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