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Area teams tackle first practices
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Chad Frazier had his first winning season since becoming head coach of the Heritage football program five years ago, and is not resting there.

Frazier and the Patriots started officially preparing for the 2011 season along with the rest of the Georgia High School football teams on Monday, and got to work in a typical but productive first day of practice.

"It went pretty good," Frazier said. "It was a typical first day. First days aren't usually your better practice days, but for a first day it was ok. I say about a C+."

Helping weed out the usual trials of the first day, such as getting used to the heat and the routine of school and practice, is the motivation of the Patriots' winning 2010 season.

"I think it's carrying over," Frazier said. "A lot of kids on last year's teams were starters and are back this year and they still have the ‘we believe in the program' mentality. Hopefully it trickles down to the younger ones."

Heritage will take to the field for the first time in a game at Salem on Aug. 26, two weeks after playing a scrimmage at Eastside.

"The kids are real excited," Frazier said.

The Rockdale High football team began work on getting back to its winning ways Monday when the Bulldogs officially took to the practice field for the first time.

After reaching the AAAA final four in 2009, Rockdale fell to 4-6 in 2010 and are now working to prove that season an anomaly.

In order to do that Rockdale is looking toward its younger players to step up.

The 2011 season will not only mark a year of possible improvement, but also one of a fresh start, as the Bulldogs take the field for the first time in three years without three of the top defensive players in the state.

The Bulldogs' defense has been anchored by All-Region players Neville Hewitt and Jerry Mathis, along with two-time All-state performer Grady Jarrett for the last three seasons, and now all three are playing in college.

Along with their talents on defense, the three also spent time on the offensive side of the ball, where Rockdale coach Michael Etheridge is optimistic about improvements.

"We're real young up front offensively," Etheridge said. "Each week that goes by we'll get better and better."

Among those getting better is 6-foot-3, 240-pound sophomore center Tyler Jones. The Bulldogs are also working in two new guards, and have moved tight end Anthony Evans down to tackle.

Those few changes and several other younger players stepping into new roles won't be the only new lineup changes for Rockdale this year, as Etheridge says the Bulldogs will be more of an offensive and defense exclusive team. He sees his players being exclusive to either the offense or defense side of the ball, rather than playing both ways.

"We just practice all day offensively and all day defensively," Etheridge said. "Which is good, it gives us more reps."

Rockdale plays its first game at home against Winder-Barrow on Aug. 26, two weeks after facing Newton County in an exhibition game.

John Starr is a little more familiar with his surroundings, and his players at Salem High School.
Starr entered his second season at the helm of the Seminoles on Monday as they took to the practice field for the first time officially in 2011.

In Starr's first year Salem went 4-6, including a stretch of four-straight losses. The Seminoles are now looking to build upon the first-year of Starr's instruction.

"We're a little more familiar this year," Starr said. "We're now able to spend more time now that they're a little more familiar with us."

Alleviating some of that familiarity is Starr and his staff's new approach to the players, after seeing how they responded to instruction a year ago.

"Things are constantly changing," Starr said. "We had to make an adjustment and had to get a little tougher than we were last year."

While the coaching staff has made a change in attitude, they hope the players have made a change in experience.

"The experience level is different than last year," Starr said. "We're spending more time focusing on basic things that we rushed through last year and it cost us games."

Starr is emphasizing the basics such as the rules of the Wing-T offense, hoping it will lead to more wins later.

Those wins can start Aug 26 when Salem hosts Heritage.