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Sports

Druid Hills Red and Black Game Bolsters Optimism for Upcoming Football Season

New recruits from Avondale High School adjust to new playbook, compete for positions

The years haven’t been kind to the football program at .

Since 1993, Druid Hills has posted just one winning season with five 0-10 records during this time span.

However, hope springs eternal and those in attendance at the Saturday’s Red and Black spring scrimmage are optimistic about the potential of having something to celebrate on Friday nights this fall.

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Head coach Kip Hall is locked into the future and he hopes a maturing squad can gel with new recruits from Avondale High School, which will close its doors for good this month.

Still, Hall, exhibiting genuine enthusiasm for a new tomorrow, doesn’t tip-toe a statement of intent.

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“Nothing but a winning season will be accepted,” he said, shortly after the last spring scrimmage before the school year ends. “We picked up seven or eight players right now. We’re very excited about it; they’re very good players. “

And the warm reception appears to be mutually felt by the fresh faces.

“I think we’re going to have a pretty good season because we’ve got a good, athletic squad,” said Anthony Durham, a former Avondale standout. “Everybody is contributing to the team…it feels different.”

Yet, while spring practice creates a small buzz, things are very much in the baby steps phase for Druid Hills. Players are feeling each other out, new guys are opening up to competition for positions and the transfers must memorize a new playbook.

The new dynamic, though, has more pluses than minuses.

“It feels good,” said Noah Thomas, among the candidates for starting quarterback. “We’ll have more additional time with coaches.”

Hall also adds some of Avondale’s coaches to his ranks, helping in the molding process.

“[Practices] having been going really good, the best since I’ve been here,” Hall said.  “There’s more maturity, and being a city school, like this, a lot of times you have issues where kids can’t make it to practice. We haven’t had that problem. We have kids that are ready to go and hungry to play.”

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