Latest / Houston County Football Coach's Show Jeremy Edwards / 2023: Gonna Be Big

Transcript

2023: Gonna Be Big · Houston County Football Coach's Show Jeremy Edwards

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, guys, welcome into another week of talking HO
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: co football. We enjoy this time of the week where
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: we get to sit down sort of and talk to
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Jeremy Edwards, head coach of the Houston County Bear. So,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: without further ado, let's bring in the head coach of
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: ho coach, Coach Jeremy Edwards. Coach, thanks as always for
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: joining us.
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir Phil, thanks for having me so coach.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Mean, can you believe it?
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: Here?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: We are getting down into the final weeks. I know
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  Speaker 1: all games are important, Coach Edwards, but I mean, let's
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: face it, to be quite honest with you, this is
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: where you earn your bucks. This is where you earn everything,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the respect I mean, etc.
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: Etc.
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  Speaker 1: Big games like what's coming up, and really all the
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: games that are left are big games. Talk about the
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: upcoming game as well as the rest of your season.
• 0:59
  Speaker 4: Well, yeah, I mean, obviously, coming off of bye week,
• 1:02
  Speaker 4: we had an opportunity to kind of, uh you know,
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: enjoy some time just as a team this past week.
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: Obviously we practiced, but then the chance to kind of
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  Speaker 4: fellowship and and uh you know, build build our team
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  Speaker 4: even more. But yeah, coming up on this week with
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  Speaker 4: a big opponent like Thomas County Central with a lot
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  Speaker 4: of you know, region standings, implications and stuff like that,
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  Speaker 4: you know, tied to it.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: It's it's gonna be big.
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  Speaker 4: It's uh it's gonna be different for from a scheduling
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  Speaker 4: standpoint because we are playing on a Saturday, which is
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  Speaker 4: quite unique but also good for our kids to experience.
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  Speaker 4: And uh so we're just we're fired up and you know,
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  Speaker 4: spend the week trying to uh do what we need
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  Speaker 4: to do to get ready, and then we'll carry that
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  Speaker 4: on throughout this.
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  Speaker 3: Week as well.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and of course Coach Edward's kind of I won't
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: say gave it away, but I was gonna save it,
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: but he did. He mentioned the fact that it's Houston comp.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry Thomas County Central coming up for his Houston
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: County Bears. I gotta tell you, I hear a lot
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: of people talk about, you know, a lot of Region
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  Speaker 1: one seven a stuff. It's a big region, there's no
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  Speaker 1: doubt about that. And of course we're, you know, where
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  Speaker 1: we're located at kind of in the heart nestled here
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  Speaker 1: in the heart of all the Region ones. I guess
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  Speaker 1: we can say Coach Edwards, but I gotta tell you this, uh, this,
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  Speaker 1: this region uh that you guys are a part of
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  Speaker 1: one six A is about as competitive as any region
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  Speaker 1: we've got in the state.
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  Speaker 2: I agree, it's it's brutal, to be quite honest.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, there's no h there's no GIMMEI weeks by any beans,
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  Speaker 4: and uh, you got to bring your a game weekend
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  Speaker 4: and week out. And fortunately, you know, the way the
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: schedule worked out, we were able to you know, kind
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: of get through the Lee County north Side game, obviously
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: dropping the League County game. Then you know, handling business
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  Speaker 4: against Northside, going into a bye week gets us a
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  Speaker 4: chance to kind of recharge and be ready for another
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  Speaker 4: great opponent in Thomas County Central.
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  Speaker 3: So we know we've got a big task ahead of us, but.
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  Speaker 4: Our kids are recharged and they're real fired up about
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  Speaker 4: the opportunity that presents itself.
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  Speaker 1: He yea, and that that opportunity that coach is talking
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  Speaker 1: about that will present itself is again going to be
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  Speaker 1: the against the undefeated Thomas County Central Yellowjackets. Coach tell me,
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  Speaker 1: I guess you can start wherever you want, but tell
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  Speaker 1: me what part of their team, what part is it
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  Speaker 1: that you think has made them so successful.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: Well, I mean it goes without saying they're well coached.
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  Speaker 4: Coach Rogers has come in and kind of sort of,
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  Speaker 4: you know, got that program back to where they're playing
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  Speaker 4: really good football and and they've got a long history
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  Speaker 4: there at that school, and so they're a proud program.
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  Speaker 4: He's done a really good job of bringing in a
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  Speaker 4: staff and you know, kind of righting the ship. I
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  Speaker 4: guess you could say as far as that program goes.
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  Speaker 4: So obviously last year they won the region, and but
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  Speaker 4: you know this year is it's a different team.
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  Speaker 3: They've had to replace some guys.
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  Speaker 4: They've had to replace their quarterback, the quarterback that they're
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  Speaker 4: playing as a young sophomore that I think has done
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  Speaker 4: a tremendous job of managing their offense. And you know,
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  Speaker 4: they got a really good run game. They kind of
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  Speaker 4: hang their hat on their run game, and got a
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  Speaker 4: big old tight end that's highly recruited, that's a you know,
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  Speaker 4: he's a he's a matchup issue for us at times,
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  Speaker 4: and so we've got to keep those guys under control,
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  Speaker 4: trying to limit the big plays. And then defensively, you know,
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  Speaker 4: I think they do a really good job of mixing
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  Speaker 4: up looks and trying to cause some confusion and make
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  Speaker 4: kids think because as we know, it's not about using
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  Speaker 4: as opposite coach, it's about confusing.
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  Speaker 2: The opposing teams players.
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  Speaker 4: They're the ones out there playing, so I think they're
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  Speaker 4: trying to do things like that with what they're doing
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  Speaker 4: and presenting defensively, and uh, they play hard, and so
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  Speaker 4: you know, we got to work cut out for us.
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  Speaker 4: But our kids seem to rise to the occasion when
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  Speaker 4: we play these big games.
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  Speaker 3: So I feel like we'll, uh, we'll.
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  Speaker 4: Have a good, good day, I guess you'd say, because
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  Speaker 4: it's gonna be at two o'clock in the afternoon, so
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  Speaker 4: it's gonna it's gonna be a lot of fun.
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  Speaker 1: So talk about that two o'clock start. How did that
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  Speaker 1: come about?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think you.
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  Speaker 4: And I spoke about this, uh previously, But the game
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: obviously wasn't our choice to play on Saturday.
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  Speaker 3: I mean it sort of was, but.
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  Speaker 4: Freedom Field was you know, tiff County's gonna play Veterans
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  Speaker 4: at Freedom Field on Friday night, so you obviously can't
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  Speaker 4: play play two games unless we went up back to
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  Speaker 4: back deal and so we didn't want to do that.
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  Speaker 4: And then obviously the only other option is to either
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  Speaker 4: play at someone else's stadium for your home game or
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  Speaker 4: play at your own home stadium, which is Freedom Field,
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  Speaker 4: which we share obviously with Veterans and played on Saturday,
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  Speaker 4: So we chose to do it on Saturday. And then
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  Speaker 4: you know, Thomas Kunty Central agreed uh upon doing that,
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  Speaker 4: and then you know, they they they got to choose
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  Speaker 4: the time, so they chose to play at two o'clock
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  Speaker 4: in the afternoon, which.
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  Speaker 3: You know, that's that's what they chose.
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  Speaker 2: So let's put the ball down and play ball.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, And I think that's the that's the main focus.
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  Speaker 1: You know, don't don't don't get caught up and spend
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: or spend all your energy, you know on whatever the
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  Speaker 1: time he has, Just go out, line up, play football,
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  Speaker 1: and you know, be done with it. And hopefully when you're
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  Speaker 1: done with it, you got to win.
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  Speaker 4: That's right, And uh, you know, I think it's smart
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  Speaker 4: on you know, we've we've both got games the following week,
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  Speaker 4: so you know, going ahead and playing the game gives
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: you an opportunity to to kind of get that one,
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  Speaker 4: to get this game reviewed, makes any corrections, and then
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  Speaker 4: game plan for your next g you know, I think
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  Speaker 4: they've got Lee County the following week, so they've got
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  Speaker 4: to uh, you know, back to back really really tough games.
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  Speaker 2: And then you know, we'll play Tiff County the next week,
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  Speaker 2: so we'll we'll.
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  Speaker 4: Have a short time to kind of prepare and game
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  Speaker 4: plan and kind of get back on track for the
• 7:24
  Speaker 4: following week.
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  Speaker 3: So I'm good with it. I like, I like the time.
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  Speaker 4: I think it's gonna be unique, and I think it's
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  Speaker 4: gonna be exciting for our kids and exciting for our fans,
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  Speaker 4: and and you know, like I will remind you, the
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  Speaker 4: University of Georgia does not play on Saturday, so there's
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  Speaker 4: no excuse for our fan base not to be out
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  Speaker 4: well for us on Saturday at two o'clock.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, I gotta be honest with you. By the way,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: we're talking to Jeremy Edwards, head coach of the Hoko Bears,
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  Speaker 1: who will be returning to action this week after enjoying
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: a bye week, as they will return to action in
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  Speaker 1: a big way. Saturday afternoon, two o'clock is the kickoff
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  Speaker 1: time for the Hoko Bears as they host Thomas County Central.
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  Speaker 1: You know, Coach, in hearing you talk about and describe
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: the Yellowjackets. It kind of dawned, was not kind of,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: but it did dawn on me that, you know, if
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: I was to have just turned on the recording when
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  Speaker 1: you first started talking about the team and all the
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: weapons they have and this that it almost sounds like
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: you're talking and describing a house the Houston County Bears,
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  Speaker 1: so a lot of similarities there.
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  Speaker 4: Talk to that, well, I mean, I do think that
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  Speaker 4: we have a good football team, you know, and I
• 8:47
  Speaker 4: think that we've got a tremendous coaching staff and really
• 8:52
  Speaker 4: good players, and you know, we're trying to build off
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  Speaker 4: of the momentum that was built last year. Yes, you know,
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  Speaker 4: obviously we don't talk a lot about last year, but
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  Speaker 4: you know, we we like and we like the direction
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  Speaker 4: that we're going in right now. I think it's gonna
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  Speaker 4: be a great matchup. You know, we've been battle tested
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  Speaker 4: with some tough games, you know, playing Warner Robbins and
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  Speaker 4: playing Lee County, you know, some tough games that we
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  Speaker 4: had to fight through, and so Perry is another one
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  Speaker 4: that was a really tough game.
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  Speaker 3: So we've played some tough opponents.
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  Speaker 4: So definitely, I feel like we're battle tested to this point,
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  Speaker 4: and so you know, we just got to control the controllables,
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  Speaker 4: and we got to worry, you know, this week about
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  Speaker 4: making sure that our kids are extremely confident. You know,
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  Speaker 4: if they're confident, then they're going to go out and
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  Speaker 4: be able to execute. So I think that, you know,
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  Speaker 4: we talked to them a lot about you know, being
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  Speaker 4: a we want to be a coaches a coaches fed team,
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  Speaker 4: but a player led team, if that makes sense. And
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  Speaker 4: so we're trying to make sure that we put them
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  Speaker 4: in the best position to be successful. But ultimately it
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  Speaker 4: comes down to players making plays and players leading the team.
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  Speaker 2: And and so, uh, that's kind.
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  Speaker 4: Of what it's gonna boil down to. And who wants
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  Speaker 4: it more is really what's gonna what it's gonna take.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: We are talking to Jeremy Edwards, head coach at the
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: Houston County Bears, as we do each and every week
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: right here at i G Next. Obviously a huge advantage coach,
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  Speaker 1: you guys not having to travel, Uh, and in a
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: game like this where we you and I've been talking
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: about already at this point all things being equal and
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: there are a lot of equalities between your team and
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: their team I can see this long travel, you know,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: and obviously they're gonna have and they like the fact.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: And I'm sure it had a lot to do with
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: coming coming up in more than a two o'clock game,
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: because you know, the right home we will put them,
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: you know, back into decent eye or however to get
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: there is going to require those guys to get a
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: much earlier start than they're used to. So I just
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: think that's one of the many intangibles you can point
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  Speaker 1: to in this one.
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  Speaker 2: Well, no doubt.
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  Speaker 4: You know, when we spoke earlier this season, Uh, you know,
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: the schedule for us this year is ideal.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: I mean, I you couldn't draw it up any better.
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: You know, we were able to play Lee County at home.
• 11:23
  Speaker 4: Obviously we that came down to the end and they
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: got the better end of it on uh that night,
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: but having them at home was he was great, you know.
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: S Fabrizio and I talked after the game about it
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: being such a great atmosphere. He was impressed by it,
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: and I think he may have mentioned it when you
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: guys spoke, But obviously, yeah, not having to go down
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: to South Georgia to to Thomasville again and and play
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: is Uh, it's definitely an advantage and and you know,
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: again from a scheduling standpoint, there's a lot of things
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: that are gonna be different for our kids, but we're
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: going to try to keep things this, you know, the
• 12:07
  Speaker 4: same as we can. You know, besides the fact that
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: it's going to be daylight outside and we'll be we'll
• 12:13
  Speaker 4: be playing ball around you know, a little after lunch.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely.
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: Finally, a couple of questions for coach Jeremy Edwards, head
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: coach of the Hoko Bears as his Bears football team
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: gets ready to take one because justin Rodgers and the
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: Thomas County Central High Yellow Jackets, you know, talk a
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: lot of coaches that you know have had injury problems
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: because it is starting to get to that time of
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: the year. How about you guys, what's the uh, the
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: the injury bug look like.
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: Well, obviously, when you're playing a physical game like like
• 12:46
  Speaker 4: this game, you know you're you're bound to get some injuries.
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: And we've we're in the span of really three days.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: Uh, we lost two guys for the season actually the
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: week of the League County game, which is unfortunate. You know,
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: we had we had one of our linebackers was dinged up,
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: uh you know from the league kind of game that
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: we held out in the in the game against North Sides.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: So we'll we'll get him back.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: But you know, for the most part, we're we're fairly healthy.
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: We've been fortunate to not have too many injuries. But
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: like I said, it was unfortunate to lose uh, two
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: of our our our players for the remainder of the season,
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: which you hate, one of them being a senior.
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: You hate that for them, and happened in practice.
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: And again that's you know, that's one of those things
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: that you know, when you in order to win at
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: all in this in this state or in any state
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: for that matter of football, you gotta you gotta have.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Some luck and you've got to stay injury free.
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  Speaker 4: And so you know, we're we're hoping for for that
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  Speaker 4: to be the last.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: Of the the injuries that will experience.
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: But we I think we do a good job of
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: building some depth that all positions and so if it's
• 14:01
  Speaker 4: the next man up type mentality, and that's so that's
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: what we.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: Got to do.
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  Speaker 1: Coach Jeremy Edwards, thank you so much for joining us.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: You do a great job and breaking down the opponent
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: as well as your team. And I know the Bears
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: fans who listen to this really do appreciate the insight
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: that you provide.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: Well. I appreciate it, Phil.
• 14:22
  Speaker 4: I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you every week
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: and you know, talk about our program and brag on
• 14:28
  Speaker 4: our kids because they deserve.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Coach, and we'll continue to do that, you know, on
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: your behalf here at itg next as we promote all
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: that is good with the Hoko Bears, and this is
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: going to be a good one if you can get
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: to the game. We always encourage everybody to get to
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: the game and enjoy it. And like Coach said, you know,
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: we'll hope to see a full house and hearing everybody
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: cheer four and getting behind their house and County Bears
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: football team. Coach, we look forward to talking to you
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: next week all about it hopefully going to be a
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Hoko win, and we'll talk to you then.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir, thank you, Phil, Coach, thank you.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: That's a lot to you.
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: There he is.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: That's Jeremy Edwards, head coach of the Houston County Bears,
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: checking in with us this week and every week right
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: here on the Houston County Coaches show it g Next,
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, Phil Jones. We'll get caught up with
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: the coach next week, hopefully talking about a Hoko win,
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: so be sure to tune in then. I'm Phil Jones,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: your host. Thanks so much for joining us.