Callaway gears up for new season
Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 23, 2015
HOGANSVILLE – It’s getting close.
In a little more than three weeks, the Callaway Cavaliers will be in Hogansville to take on Greenville in a preseason game, and they’ll open their season on Aug. 21 against LaGrange.
The preparation for a new season is continuing this week for the Cavaliers, who are making the transition from their summer program to preseason practice.
On Wednesday, the Cavaliers completed their Ironman competition, and that leads into the start of preseason practice.
According to the Georgia High School Association calendar, the first official day for preseason practice is Saturday, and teams can begin holding full-contact practices on Aug. 1.
Pete Wiggins, who is heading into his 11th season as Callaway’s head coach, said this week always signifies to the players how close a new season is actually getting.
“It’s the same time frame every year,” Wiggins said. “It’s the youth camp (that was held Tuesday), and the Ironman competition, and it’s not far away from the scrimmage in Hogansville.”
The three-day Ironman competition concluded on Wednesday with the one-mile run, and Callaway defensive coordinator Dusty Hubbard said that’s always an intense event.
“The guys, they get after it in the mile,” Hubbard said. “It’s the last event. We don’t post (the results) until the very end. We don’t keep a running tally. But, they’re fighting for the last event, they’re fighting for the last few points that they know might get them in the top 10, or the top five. They get out there and they get after it.”
There were also weight-lifting events, a 40-year dash, lane touches, and other competitions designed to test the skill and fitness level of the players.
Wiggins said the players always take the Ironman competition seriously.
“It’s great to see them out working,” Wiggins said. “We’re just trying to do better on each lift, or each competition. It tells a lot about our kids when they get out here and compete. They want to do better.”
Callaway has had a busy summer that included seven-on-seven events at Auburn, the University of Georgia and West Georgia University, and the players participated in a number of position camps.
Callaway’s players also had daily workouts at the school.
Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports
