Spring football has begun in Newton County, and over the next two weeks, each of our three GHSA schools will get a closer look at what they can expect come August when the 2017 season kicks off.
Over these next few days, The Covington News sports staff will be chatting with each coach to get his spring ball perspectives. Here, our intern Tyler Williams paid a visit to Newton High head coach Terrance Banks.
Check out what Banks had to say about getting his team back on the field, the identity he wants his squad to have and his feelings about the Rams’ spring game against Alcovy.
The Covington News: How does it feel getting back on the field this spring?
Banks: “The boys are excited, and I’m happy for them. Anytime you end the season with a loss, it’s a bitter feeling. We’ve had about 75 to 80 boys put in the work in the mornings, so to finally be able to be out here in pads to practice is a wonderful feeling for them.”
TCN: What’s the biggest benefit to having spring practices like this before the summer hits?
Banks: “You get to evaluate the kids and their growth from where they ended to now. We’ve got a lot of ninth graders that never had a chance to learn all the plays. We get to try new things as well to see if they fit, see what needs to be changed and see who you have for next year.”
TCN: Is there anything specifically the team is trying to get better at or work on while you have this spring time?
Banks: “Our goal is to be the most physical team in the state. We are working more on just being physical. We are trying new things of course, but our goal is to see who wants to be physical. We have a lot of guys out here, but we want to know who has that mentality of… ‘You are not gonna out-work me, you’re not gonna out-hit me, you’re not gonna out-block me, you’re not gonna out-tackle me’… and that might be any of them.”
TCN: Are there any other goals this summer? Or is that of course the biggest one?
Banks: “That’s the biggest one. We want to just evaluate the kids, and see who wants to be physical as well as seeing if there needs to be a position change and also seeing who really has stepped up.”
TCN: What has the progression been like for some of the guys out here being looked at to play at the next level?
Banks: “Well we kind of have a system here since I’ve been here where they kind of see the guys in front of them, and it’s just an exciting time to have the coaches come by and see guys who have the offers. What you really see from them is who loves football, and that’s not a problem for our guys. A lot of guys when they get offers, sometimes it can go to their head to where they no longer care about their senior season and are more focused on what’s next for them in college.”
TCN: One more question, Coach. How are you getting prepared for the spring game against Alcovy?
Banks: “I’m not really preparing at all since it’s just a spring scrimmage, and even though we are scrimmaging Alcovy, I haven’t thought about it one bit. We are just getting some looks, and that’s it.”
