‘Discipline and Physicality’: Anson Football prepares for kickoff

WADESBORO — Following a disappointing 4-7 season last year, the Bearcats are back on the gridiron for preseason practice.

Donning pads for the first time last week, the Anson High football team has been hard at work throughout the summer. In his eighth season as the Bearcat’s head coach, Ralph Jackson sees the off-season like baking a confection.

“The guys have been working hard since the spring and summer, you know, they were putting the ingredients in to make the cake. Now, and once the season starts, it’s time to show off your work,” Jackson said.

Jackson has a solid contingent of junior and senior upperclassman returning to the field this year that he expects to make plays.

“Our senior class has been on the team for a while. A lot of juniors were freshman that played varsity. We had some young guys that made some plays, you know, in key moments. Those guys are mostly juniors this year and we look for them to come out and perform and do things better than they did last year. You know, our senior class is a pretty good class as well…we’ve got some guys in there that really paid the price this summer. They’ve been there consistently, trying to lead, trying to change the whole psyche of the team,” Jackson said.

When asked about any up and coming star players, Coach Jackson said he prefers to look at the team as a whole, instead of individual athletes.

“I’m not a fan of saying we have star players, I mean, we don’t have a star playing, we’re trying to get a team full of good players,” Jackson elaborated.

Coming in under .500 last fall, for Anson, this year is all about grit.

“Discipline and physicality, that’s what we are trying to preach, that’s what we are teaching the guys. We want them to be very disciplined, but we want them to be as physical as they can be legally, within the confines of the rules of the game,” Jackson said.

Picked in preseason polls to finish just ahead of last place in the Rocky River Conference, Jackson has plenty to be fired up about.

“You know that’s a chip on my shoulder there, that’s a thorn in my side. So, it’s personal, these guys got to get ready to roll,” he said.

The Bearcats first game of the season in an away-game on Friday, August 18 at 7:30 p.m. against North Stanly in a non-conference matchup.