Preparations for the 2026 football campaign kicked into high gear for Ware County this week with the donning of full pads.
The Gators enter their eighth campaign under head coach Jason Strickland, who has led the program to a 64-21 mark with three region championships and the 2022 Class AAAAA state title. Strickland is 11 wins away from overtaking Dan Ragle (1999-2007) for the top spot in program history.
Ware County enters the season needing to replace eight starters on the offensive side of the ball and five on defense. The Gators also have five new region members after the GHSA’s reclassification and region realignment cycle.
Gone are New Hampstead, Perry and Warner Robins from last year’s Region 1-AAAA. In are Groves, Statesboro, Richmond Academy, Evans and Jenkins- Savannah joining holdovers Wayne County, Benedictine and Ware County forming an eightteam Region 1-AAAAA.
“We’ve had a really good summer,” Strickland said of the June-July summer practices. “Our attendance has been excellent ... maybe the best we’ve (coaching staff) had really since we’ve been here. We feel good about where we are right now, but we’re not going to really know until we kind of get in pads this week.”
Ware County will have nine days to prepare to scrimmage Brunswick at 7 p.m. August 7 on the hallowed grounds of Memorial Stadium.
It’s the lone scrimmage before the season opener August 21 at Bainbridge. That’s followed the next week in Douglas against rival Coffee High.
Following a September 4 open date — the first of two for the Gators — Richmond Hill visits September 11 for the home opener.
“Going into this week is where we’ll really see the curve with offensive linemen getting better and those sorts of things,” said Strickland, who has to replace all five starters in the trenches. “There’s things you can’t do without pads on for the offensive linemen.
“So, we’re (coaches) excited ... they’re (players) excited because we’re getting into pads and can really start working on some things that we weren’t able to without the pads.”
The practice plan Monday was for another early workout.
“We’re going to start bumping heads a little bit about 9:30 (a.m.),” said Strickland. “We’re going to go live and see where we are.
“It’s one thing to be going against bags, but it’s a whole different ballgame for them to recognize how fast they have to be moving and processing stuff once that group on the other side really moves.”
Strickland said the offense has been installed, but now is time to see it live.
“I was real proud of the players being able to stay attentive in meetings and the walk-throughs on the grass installs and all that type of stuff,” the veteran coach said. “The good thing is, we won’t be going into next week trying to install anything. It’ll be working on execution.”
The execution of first group will be against the first group of defenders — best vs. best.
“Monday and Tuesday we’re going to get a lot of good on good, and then two on twos,” Strickland said early of the practice plan. “Starting Wednesday through the rest of the week we’re going to start concentrating on Brunswick with what information we have.”
Strickland said the focus over the next three weeks leading into the Bainbridge game is to get the players to play fast.
“That (playing fast) is the key,” he said. “There’s going to be mistakes. We (coaches) have to get our guys to understand to just play. Playing fast and loose helps overcome mistakes.
“Defensively, how many hats can we have at the point of attack when the whistle blows? You can’t be afraid to make a mistake. This generation, across the nation, they’re just afraid to make a mistake. They’re worried about how it’s going to make them look like.
“They’ll play a little bit hesitant ... play a little bit slower. We (coaches) just want to remove all that from their mind and get them to play as fast as they possibly can play. That’ll overcome a lot of the youth and inexperience we have.”
Photo By RICK HEAD
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