With the heat index in triple digits and the month of July fast approaching, it’s not too early to start thinking about football.

At Bryan County High School, they’ve actually been thinking about football since last November 1 when the Redskins dropped a 21-8 decision to Metter and were eliminated from playoff contention.

It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season. Bryan County was shooting for an unprecedented third straight state playoff berth under Coach Cherard Freeman but dropped its final three games of the season to come up short.

That stumbling finish has been a driving force this summer, especially for seniors such as Anddreas “Buck” McKinny who have been going at it hard since the first week of June. Freeman said 45-50 players have been showing up consistently for voluntary workouts three days a week.

“We’ve got some pretty good kids coming back,” Freeman said. “Our junior class (rising seniors) is awesome. It’s a class that knows how to lead…we’ve got some leaders.

“Last year we didn’t have that. We had some great athletes but we didn’t have any leadership. This year that is not a problem. Our junior class (rising seniors) is awesome. We’ve got a class that knows how to lead.”

This coming week will be a dead week—no activity permitted—and then it will be full throttle in getting ready for the Aug. 15 opener against Johnson. The first day of practice in pads is July 28.

One of the more talented returnees is McKinny who is one of the state’s top running backs in Class A-DII.

McKinny is the quintessential running back to be found in South Georgia’s Class A schools where heart and physical toughness prevail over size. McKinny is 5-foot-9 and 156 pounds but he plays bigger.

Last year he was the second leading rusher in the state among Class A-DII backs with 1,267 yards on 176 carries. He had eight 100 yard-plus games with eight touchdowns including an 80-yard run.

“He’s an awesome kid,” Freeman said. “He works hard and he’s going to succeed at whatever he does because he doesn’t know how to lose.

“The one great thing about him is his character. You don’t have to worry about what he’s doing. He’s a good church-going kid. Most kids like rap music and heavy metal during weight lifting. He has his headphones on, listening to his gospel music. He’s a great kid…a good kid.”

As a freshman McKinny played cornerback on defense and per stats on Max Preps he had 81 tackles while also running for 204 yards. His sophomore season was derailed by a knee injury after gaining 189 yards. Then came last year’s breakout season.

For his career McKinny has 1,650 yards on 227 carries, an average of 7.3 yards per attempt. More importantly is his ball security. He has lost only two fumbles.

Prior to the opener against Johnson there will be a four-team jamboree on Aug. 1 with the Redskins hosting Beach, Ware County and Butler. Bryan County will scrimmage at Bradwell Institute on Aug. 8.

In addition to what he’s doing at school McKinny is also working out on his own at home, he said, thanks to the prodding of his uncle, Nile Harris.

“I’m putting in the work,” McKinny said. “I definitely want 1,000 yards this season. My uncle has got me working at home and I think I’m in good shape.

“I’m working at home, working here (school) on the bench, on my agility and running, the normal stuff,’ McKinny said. “I feel good about what we’re doing as a team.”

McKinny was also a standout on the track for the Redskins this past spring, running the grueling 400 meters, and he said track has been a big contributor to his overall improvement.

“Track has helped me a lot,” McKinny said. “It’s helped me build up my stamina and strengthen my knees. They’ve gotten better. It’s been really good for me.”

With 4.4 speed in the 40, McKinny gets to the corner quickly and is subject to break a long run every time he touches the ball but if necessary he can and will run inside. Although not overly big he is not fragile.

“I’m not scared to run inside,” McKinny said with a trace of a smile. “I think my strengths are my speed and my explosiveness. I’ve got to work on my blocking. That’s about it.”

Mike Brown is a sports correspondent with the Bryan County News.