By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
The Woodruff football team turned heads during an impressive slate of summer competition as the countdown to the 2024 season reaches the home stretch.
Fall practice officially begins on August 2, and the Wolverines are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting year with a team brimming with talent. During their 7-on-7 summer season, Woodruff made their presence known in several large tournaments, and the effort has head coach Brett Sloan excited for the campaign to come.
“There is reason for optimism,” said Sloan. “We have a lot of key pieces returning. We have had some good success in our summer 7-on-7s. We are making gains in our strength and speed programs. We are bigger, faster, and stronger than we were this time last year. However, we still have to take it one day at a time. We have to do the right things. This is a game of preparation. We are on track, but we cannot get distracted.”
During the team’s first 7-on-7 tournament at Georgia Tech University, Woodruff was one of the talks of the event. The Wolverines won their first six games of the tournament and entered single elimination bracket play as the number one overall seed out of more than 50 teams. Woodruff would fall to Georgia powerhouse Kell High School in the semifinals, but it was a tremendous showing against some of the best teams from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
“I think the biggest thing we saw in the Georgia Tech 7 on 7 was that our depth and understanding of our offensive and defensive schemes are light years ahead of where they were last year,” stated Sloan. “Our kids know the details of the scheme so much better. They don’t have to think as much. As a result, we play much faster and with much more confidence.”
The month of June was not without its challenges. Several of the Wolverines’ offensive starters were shelved with injuries during the latter half of the month, and while those players should be ready by the start of fall practice, it allowed younger players to get valuable reps. That is something Coach Sloan knows is valuable when looking at the big picture of the season to come.
“We do have a couple of guys banged up right now,” he said. “I am hopeful that they are not long-term issues. With any challenge comes opportunity. It has allowed us to rep some younger guys. We have had some guys step up to fill the void. Skylar Barker has definitely improved with the extra reps he has received at our X and Z wide receiver positions. Travon Lee has stepped in nicely at our flex tight end position. I think the experience they have gotten in July will give those guys the confidence they need to really help us in critical situations this fall.”
Woodruff returns much of its team from a year ago, and with a bigger, faster, and more experienced group, the Wolverines have every reason to be excited. With realignment and a revamped 3A classification, Woodruff has the potential to be among the top teams in the state in their class.
Coach Sloan is pleased with where the team is going into fall practice but knows there is always work to be done and areas of improvement to shore up.
“A month away from practice, I would say we are exactly where we need to be,” Sloan added. “We are not a good football team yet, but we can get there from where we are now. The majority of our scheme is installed. At least the core concepts. I feel like the players have a good grasp of things. Moving forward, it is really about focusing on where we can excel, developing an identity as a football team, and getting really good at those things.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
