Football season may not be starting anytime soon, but the players associated with Cedartown High School and Cedartown Middle School are out proving themselves in the weightroom.

“The offseason program is going well,” Head Coach Mark Loudermilk said. “The kids are working hard.”

For those players who do not take weightlifting during the day at school, they are arriving at 6:30 a.m. each morning. Also, players can show up after school to work out.

“We are having good turnouts,” Loudermilk said. “They show up like clockwork. We even have around 12 eighth graders and a couple of seventh graders show up to work out.”

Loudermilk said around 30 players show up in the afternoons, including several rising seventh graders.

“We need more eighth graders though,” Loudermilk said. “Even if you play a spring sport, we can set up a time for you to come work out.”

Loudermilk said the players aren’t just coming to work out when they are asked to by the coaches, but they are approaching the coaches about working out and conditioning.

One player that has done that is returning starting quarterback Hayden Privett, who approached Loudermilk around the first of February to start a throwing program.

Loudermilk said the football team will be heading to a weightlifting competition on Feb. 28.

After that, they will continue to work out as they prepare for spring practices.

“This year we are going to have a ninth grade team,” Loudermilk said. “We aren’t going to have a junior varsity squad. We feel by having a ninth grade team and dedicating several coaches to them, we can work more one on one with them.”

Loudermilk said he plans to have the ninth graders go through a spring practice all by themselves from April 22 to May 1.

“We want to do that to spend more time coaching those guys,” Loudermilk said. “I think it will work out better if we can separate them from the varsity and give them all of our attention.”

The varsity squad will then take to the field from May 4-18.

Loudermilk will be entering spring practices this year with two less coaches.

“I am having to replace two coaches who are leaving,” Loudermilk said. “I am hoping to replace them with a couple of young coaches.”

Scott Jackson, the Bulldogs defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, and quarterbacks coach Denver Pate are the ones leaving.

“Terry Morrow will take over the defense,” Loudermilk pointed out.

The fourth-year Bulldog taskmaster said he still plans on Cedartown using the triple-option offense next season while the defense will either work out of the 4-3 scheme or the ‘50’ front.