Tackles, field goals and touchdowns. Tis the season for football and that means it’s a whole new season for the North Atlanta Warriors. With the new season here, the Warriors’ football team has been putting in hard work and preparation for the tough schedule ahead.  

        Following a summer full of weight room and practice sessions, the team has been working to develop its game plan. According to team captain and two-way player Justin Sanders, the team has taken a different approach to practice this summer, which has resulted in physical improvement throughout the roster. “The team has become physically ready for the season. Our practices have gotten more intense and game-like. We have done a lot of seven on sevens,” Sanders said.

        Not only have the Warriors practiced in order to grow physically, but they have worked on toughening up mentally as well. Terrian Rainey, another team captain as well as a starting offensive lineman, believes the culture of the team has really improved this season. “The whole vibe is different. We are much more positive this year and everyone is more upbeat,” Rainey said.

        However, this change was not possible without leaders to pave the way for it. Along with the team captains, head coach Jeremy Gainer and his coaching staff have pushed the team this summer in order to increase the performance level this season. Among Gainer’s staff are four new coaches: Marcus Caffrey, Greg Jenkins, Kordell Stewart and Arturo Meza. Sanders had thoughts about the positive impact that the coaches are bringing. “They have impacted us very positively by bringing a lot of new plays and information in, and giving us a lot of new drills to work on,” Sanders said. “They are getting us in more in the mindset of winning.”

All of this work, practice and preparation has been leading up to the new season, which the Warriors started with a win in a scrimmage against the Holy Innocents’ Golden Bears. North Atlanta scored on an early five yard run to take a 7-0 lead. The lead held up until the third quarter when Holy Innocents’ connected on a long pass to tie the game at seven. With 34 seconds left in the game, senior defensive lineman Caleb Washington recovered a fumble and carried the ball to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. For senior Rainey and his teammates, this scrimmage win was a nice way to kick off the season. A victory is nice, but there’s still business to take care of. “This win has added to our positive mindset, but we still have work to do,” Rainey said.

        Positivity is circling around the team, and with the Friday Night Lights about to turn on, the players, coaches, and fans of the North Atlanta Warriors will soon see how the team’s work this offseason will pay off. The team has a long road ahead, but first up on the Warriors’ to-do list this season is to beat Grady.