By: Josh Aubrey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

With the 2018 high school football season fast approaching, the Statesboro Blue Devils have been getting in some summer work in an attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Despite a 2-7 record in 2017 and missing the postseason for the fourth straight season, the Blue Devils did show some improvement last year.

Statesboro actually had fourth quarter leads against three playoff teams last season and despite losing some key seniors, coach Jeff Kaiser is excited about 60 freshmen coming out for football this year.

“We’ve managed to have about 40 of those 60 ninth grader make it regularly out to summer programs,” Kaiser said. “Our kids have seemed enthusiastic about being here this summer and are excited about the upcoming season.”

One of the keys for success this year for Statesboro will be filling the holes left by graduation, particularly in the offensive backfield, where the Blue Devils lost four seniors, including leading rusher Tupac Lanier and three year starting quarterback Davis Wiggins.

“We don’t have many seniors playing those positions, so we will be young,” Kaiser said. “We’ve had nine running backs get reps this summer and four different quarterbacks. Everybody’s competing and that’s a good thing.”

Defensively Statesboro will be anchored by leading tackler senior Chris Hill and a host of Blue Devils who saw playing time last season but Kaiser says he will also be using many players on both sides of the ball.

“You’d think on a 5-A team you wouldn’t need to play people both ways,” Kaiser said. “Unfortunately, that is where we are but I’m hoping we are in good enough shape where that won’t be a huge issue.”

The Blue Devils will also have a bit of an old school look offensively this season, as Kaiser plans to implement more of a power game.

“Our brand of football this year will be a little different from today’s trend of ‘basketball on turf’ with everyone spread out all over the field,” Kaiser said. “We don’t have the personnel to do that successfully in my opinion, so we are going to slow it down a bit and will be more of a traditional wishbone attack, with some spread elements to it as well.”

The Blue Devils also have to remember how to win. The 2006 State Championship seems like a lot more than just 12 years ago. Statesboro hasn’t even advance to the state playoffs since 2013 and coach Kaiser feels some of the losses from last year can be attributed to the team’s lack of confidence.

“I hate to use the cliché, but it is about trusting the process,” Kaiser said. “The kids have put in an incredible amount of work and have made huge gains in the weight room. You try and develop a team that is mentally tough – not that we weren’t tough last year – but there in the fourth quarter we have to be tougher physically and mentally.”

“You hear that winning ways are habitual but for us losing ways have been habitual,” Kaiser said. “Finding a way of win, instead of trying not to lose. That needs to be more of our mindset this season.”

The Blue Devils open the 2018 season August 24th at Greenbrier.