By Melissa Smith--Eagle Staff Writer
Franklin County High School athletics teams and fans all seem eager for the upcoming fall sports season. Football, cross country, cheer, golf, and volleyball have been battling it out on the court, on the field, and through the trails to bring victory home.
“I’m really looking forward to the Milestat Invitational," Nathan Atchue aspired. "It's a big race in Richmond and it will be the first time the whole team will run it."
Atchue has been running cross country and track since 8th grade and has great expectations for his team because of this.
“I'd like the team to qualify for states by placing top three at regionals. Individually I'd like to win my first cross country state championship,” said Atchue.
Atchue isn’t the only one looking forward to fall competitions.
“I am really looking forward to districts this year. I really feel like we have a shot,” Madison Holland, senior and Varsity cheerleader, explained.
Golf players are also hoping for a successful season.
“I hope to win the districts and then the regionals,” Sam Fansler, senior on the Varsity team, commented.
Student-athletes have been putting in a lot of work for the past few months to prepare for this fall sports season, including near-daily practices, conditioning, and training.
“This season we conditioned all throughout the summer and we practice six days a week now to be the best we can be for this season,” Holland said.
Golf players have been practicing hard, too.
“We have practiced 3 hours a day for 5 days a week,” Fansler added.
Atchue, on the other hand, indicates he feels behind when it comes to practicing.
“I haven't had much preparation since I had COVID at the end of summer and I'm just building up my mileage now,” Atchue stated.
Teams hope the season will not be affected by COVID-19, but there are precautions that will be put in place in the case of an outbreak.
“If we have an outbreak, I would have to report to the health department and then see if we would need to do something," Athletic Director Bradley Lang described. "Last year we had to pause the team for a week or for 10 days or something like that. We had to move some games and cancel some games. Those are all things that could possibly happen but hopefully, it doesn’t get there."
Whatever their sport, Eagle athletes hope to see fans come to their games in support of them and all their hard work.
“Come watch us postseason to see if we qualify for states as a team,” Atchue encouraged.
However, it's not all about winning, as Lang is quick to point out.
"Everyone wants to be competitive and everyone wants to win….[but] we also want to be good students……we want to be good teammates," he explained. "After we do those things really really well, we’re gonna win and that’s our goal.”
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