In just a little over five weeks, the W.S. Neal Eagle football team will begin their 2012 season, but it has not stopped the Eagles from working hard in the weight room.
“Things have been going well for us this summer,” second-year W.S. Neal head coach Doug Hoehn said. “We have been working out three days a week. I am pleased with what I have been seeing from the kids. I think we have come a long way. We are not where we want to be, but I think we have come a long way since last year. We need to get stronger. I don’t think they were lifting weights at all before I got here. That affected us last year. Even though we started working out when I got here, it takes a lot longer than that to see the progress. I think they have done a decent job of getting stronger and we are starting to get some size on us.”
The Eagles had 60 players on the spring jamboree roster and Hoehn said there have been no changes in the amount of players that came out to spring camp to now.
“Our numbers stayed consistent,” Hoehn said. “The kids have showed up on time and they have been here for all of their workouts. Their effort is strong.”
While the numbers have stayed the same for the Eagles, there is one new face they have seen as former Eagle and Auburn football player Jared Cooper has joined Hoehn’s staff for this fall.
“Jared is doing a good job,” Hoehn said. “He started with us at the beginning of the summer. It is nice to have alumni to come back. He is a young man that has played on the college level and he realizes it takes a strong desire, commitment and hard work to succeed in football. I think he is going to be a good coach to help relay that message to our players.”
W.S. Neal will begin their 2012 season Friday, Aug. 31 at home against Holtville. W.S. Neal will drop down to class 3A for the 2012 season and will be in a region with Straughn, Cottage Hill, Southside Selma, Excel, Bayside Academy, Opp and T.R. Miller.
As of right now, Hoehn said he is not sure if the Eagles will play a preseason game yet or not.
“Right now we don’t have anyone on the schedule,” he said.
While the season will be here in a few weeks and he is not where he would like to be, Hoehn said at least his team is moving forward.
“We are pleased with the kids because we are continuously seeing improvement since day one when I arrived,” Hoehn said. “We are not where we want to be, but the good news is we are not taking any steps backwards. Of course you would like to see us be able to work faster because the season will be here soon because it is right around the corner.”
Here is the complete schedule for the W.S. Neal Eagles:
• Friday, Aug. 31, Holtville, Home
• Friday, Sept. 7, Straughn, Away
• Friday, Sept. 14, Cottage Hill, Away
• Friday, Sept. 21, Southside Selma, Home
• Friday, Sept. 28, Hillcrest, Home
• Friday, Oct. 5, Excel, Away
• Friday, Oct. 12, Bayside Academy, Home
• Friday, Oct. 19, Opp, Homecoming
• Friday, Oct. 26, T.R. Miller, Away
• Friday, Nov. 2, Millry, Away
(See Wednesday’s paper for a story on the T.R. Miller Tiger football team and how head coach Jamie Riggs said their summer workouts have went are going in the final days)