Coach Mike Robertson is optimistic about the new season for Hokes Bluff. He tells us his "Summer Season Prep" has been good and he came through it without any worrisome injuries. He lost some good players from last year, but has some promising replacements coming back. His son, Brad, the QB had a good summer and bulked up a bit. He has a good arm and a couple of dependable receivers. But he plans to depend largely on the running game. The coach lamented the loss of his leading tackler from last year. And he says he has some work to do rebuilding the defensive front. Robertson expects his 4A region to be tough this year with the likes of Anniston, Alexandria, Cherokee County and others to be big challenges. In fact, he says he does not expect the Eagles to be favored in any of his regional matchups. But we won't know how that turns out till they take the field.

Photo provided by The Messenger