TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon High School has fielded a football team for 100 years, so to say this season is a special one for the Lions would be an accurate statement.
Saturday morning was also exciting for Leon, and really, any team in the state of Florida, because Saturday was the first day for contact practice. Tim Cokely enters his third season at Leon this year, a program he's worked to turn around, but says now, a culture's been set, and the Lions are ready too get to work.
Cokely acknowledges that the Lions have a tough schedule, but they play 7A football, so there is no such thing as an off week. Traditionally, Leon has always been known for the defense, and fittingly, for the 100 year anniversary, Cokely said the Lions are going back to their roots.
"We're drinking from a well someone else dug," he said Saturday morning. "The traditions and the pride that this school, and a lot of other schools were established on kind of gets lost now because of the microwave society, the social media. Our guys, we've been preaching to them, that Leon football has been around a long time. It's going to be around a long time after you're gone. So your opportunity to make a name is now, the opportunity to make a name for your team is now, so in 100 years from now, our team picture can be looked back on fondly."
Leon takes on a tough Wakulla squad in preseason action at home on August 20th. They open up the regular season at home against Suwannee on the 28th.
