Cedartown’s football program has never been known to duck any opponents and by looking at the 2004-2005 Cedartown High School football schedule that trend will continue.

Cedartown faces off with the likes of Paulding County, M.L. King, Rome, Westminster, and Westlake in the first half of the season. And those teams are the non-region part of the schedule.

The region encounters will have the ’Dogs facing Central-Carroll, Cass, Banneker, Carrollton, and Cartersville.

All in all, the Bulldogs are facing seven teams that made the state playoffs last year, including four teams that made the AAAA playoffs.

“At first Westlake and Westminster were moved into our region with the new region alignment,” Cedartown Coach Everett Kelley said. “But then they appealed and got out of our region. But, we choose to keep them on the schedule and play them anyway.”

Kelley also mentioned that playing just five region games will make room for error grow smaller.

“It’s definetly tougher playing just five region games,” Kelley said. “You don’t have much room for error (losses).”

The Bulldogs will begin the season with scrimmages against Pepperell (August 6 at home) and versus Rockmart (Aug. 13, away).

Cedartown’s season officially begins on Aug. 20 when they travel to Paulding County to face the Patriots.

The Bulldogs follow that with a road trip to Rome to face the always-tough Rome Wolves on Aug. 27 at Barron Stadium.

September 3 has the M.L. King Lions coming to Doc Ayers Field. On Sept. 10 Kelley’s team travels to the Atlanta area to face Westlake.

Westminster, a team that knocked off the No. 1 team in state last year (Gainesville) in the second round of the AAA playoffs, will come knocking at Cedartown Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17.

After an off week, the Bulldogs go into region play by hosting Carrollton (October 1), traveling to Central-Carroll (Oct. 8) and then returning home to entertain Banneker (Oct. 15).

Cedartown then heads to Bartow County on Oct. 22 to battle the Cass Colonels. The Bulldogs end the regular season the following week, Oct. 29, when they host the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes.

PRACTICE NEARING

Most people look at summer as a time to relax by the pool and enjoy local baseball games. However, prep football players look at summer in a different way.

Throughout the nation, prep players who dream of competing on the college level go to various football camps to compete and have college coaches see them play in person.

Summer, to most high school football players, is almost like a job. Going to various camps and clinics to improve and be seen by the college coaches.

Once the camps begin to die down, then it is time for the practices to heat up.

Most high schools compete in passing leagues during the summer but official practice for teams do not start until July 19.

During the first week of practice, players can wear helmets but are not allowed to dress in full pads. But come July 26, the players are able to dress in full gear and compete at full speed.

Cedartown, like other high schools, will conduct practice from July 19 until August 6. On that day Cedartown will step on the field to scrimmage arch-rival Pepperell at Doc Ayers Field.