Coach Mark Mariakis addresses his players after practice at Ridgeland High School on Monday.Between the heat and the fact that most teams had just one evening practice because of teachers’ in-service, this year’s annual tour of area high school football programs was a bit more challenging. But on the first day that teams in Tennessee and Georgia were allowed to begin practicing in full pads, the 12th tour again stoked excitement for the season.
With scrimmages beginning this Friday, jamborees being played the following weekend and actual games just three weeks away, we will have prep football action from now into December.
While Chattanooga Christian, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and Soddy-Daisy were at out-of-town camps, and Alabama schools are not allowed to begin practicing in pads until later this week, here is what I learned after a little more than 14 hours and 329 miles of traveling to 21 area schools Monday:
(All times Eastern)
6:39 a.m., Notre Dame — As I turn onto the campus, the stadium lights in the early-morning darkness catch my eye. The Irish lost 15 seniors and 18 of the 45 players on the roster are freshmen. The team has been on the game field for more than 30 minutes, and offensive line coach David Church already is fed up with repeating himself to one freshman.