PREP FOOTBALL: Let the 2018 season begin

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 30, 2018 5:51 AM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

Before most folks awoke from a deep slumber and brewed their first cup of Joe this morning, Eastern Wayne's gridiron Warriors were pumped and excited as they headed outside at 7 on the dot.

That annual late-July ritual -- opening day of high school football practice -- is finally here.

"I'm excited to get this season started," EW head coach Leander Oates said. "My coaching staff and I have been diligently preparing during the offseason and are eager to get the guys on the field.

"I have a few new coaches and some new players in some key positions, but I am confident that all the pieces to the puzzle will come together."

More than 300 teams in North Carolina start practice today with a state title as their ultimate goal. Just eight schools will hoist championship trophies in early December and obtain bragging rights for the next 11-plus months.

The first five days of practice are required to be used for physical conditioning, according to N.C. High School Athletic Association guidelines.

• Days 1 and 2 -- headgear, non-padded shorts, cleats;

• Days 3-5 -- shoulder pads may be added, but no body-to-body contact is permitted;

• Day 6 -- full uniforms are allowed along with full-contact drills.

Three days later, teams may compete in scrimmages.

Charles B. Aycock will hit the field at 7:30 a.m.

Princeton and Southern Wayne launch their respective practices at 8:30, while The Nest at Rosewood will begin to stir around 8:45.

The 'next season' has been on head coach Robert Britt's mind since his team's season-ending, opening-round playoff loss in 2017.

"You try to get your players to work hard in the offseason for the next season," said Britt, who is projected to have nine starters back on defense. "Well...the next season starts today. Soon all coaches will able to see if their efforts can produce more wins. We are excited."

Weather permitting, Goldsboro High starts its 2018 campaign at 5 p.m. The Cougars will take the field minus head coach Elvin James, who resigned last Thursday due to medical reasons.

"You don't know what you've got until Monday when people start coming out," James said. "Kids, all of a sudden, can decide they want to do something else."

Tim Ray has been named as the Cougars' interim coach.

Reigning eastern 1-A champ North Duplin lumbers down to the pit minus 15 starters and with 90-plus percent of its offense lost to graduation in June. The Rebels are the two-time defending Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season champions.

Down Highway 111 toward Seven Springs, the Gators go to work in "The Swamp" at 6:30 p.m.

"It's a great feeling that first day of official practice because you know the kids pick up the intensity a little bit more than summer workouts," said second-year SC head coach Daniel Robinson.

"We have a lot of work to do because our summer turnouts were sub-par. We have some talent, but we've got to get them up to speed because Aug. 17 [season opener] will here before you can blink."

Spring Creek begins its second year as a member of the East Central 2-A Conference, which produced 2-A (small-school) state champion Wallace-Rose Hill and 2-AA (large school) state runner-up East Duplin in 2017.