With summer workouts complete, Putnam County has officially turned its attention toward the start of the 2026 football season.
The War Eagles recently wrapped up the Georgia High School Association’s mandatory acclimation week, the final step before players could put on full pads and begin preparing for live competition.
While the GHSA requires the acclimation week, Putnam head coach Joel Harvin said it was less about getting his team accustomed to the August heat and more about laying the groundwork for the weeks ahead.
“We’ve been doing it all summer,” Harvin said. “We’ve been out there in helmets, jerseys, and shorts, just trying to get used to the heat.”
Instead of simply focusing on conditioning, the War Eagles used the week to sharpen the details that often decide close football games.
Harvin said the coaching staff emphasized special teams and game situations, making sure players understood how to react in scenarios they could face during the season.
“We really just take that period to make sure that we cover every situation that we go through,” Harvin said. “Whether it’s a kickoff after a safety, a punt, or just different scenarios that we might be in throughout the year, we want our kids not to be surprised by it.”
That approach carries extra importance for a Putnam County team that will rely on several younger players this fall. With a limited senior class, Harvin said repetition is critical to building confidence before the games begin.
The coaching staff also used acclimation week to install its special teams units and continue laying the foundation of the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.
“We got everything where we wanted to go schematically,” Harvin said. “We use acclimation week to get all that stuff in so when the first day of pads gets here, we’re able to hit it rolling and don't have to slow things down as much.”
Now that full-contact practices have begun, Harvin expects the intensity to increase. The War Eagles still have starting positions up for grabs, and the next two weeks will go a long way toward determining who earns those jobs.
“We’re excited to have the pads on and be able to get a little more physical,” Harvin said. “We’re a young team, so we don't have a big senior class. We’ve got to spend these next two weeks trying to get as physical as we can and mentally get locked in on what we're doing.”
Harvin added that competition remains open throughout the roster.
“We still have some open spots that are looking for a starter,” he said. “We’re trying to build those guys over these next two weeks.”
The first opportunity to measure that progress will come Aug. 13, when Putnam County hosts Class 4A’s West Laurens in a preseason scrimmage. Although the contest will not count in the standings, Harvin expects it will provide an early measuring stick against one of the stronger teams the War Eagles will see before the regular season begins.
He praised West Laurens head coach Kip Burdette for the turnaround of the Raiders’ program and expects his War Eagles to face a physical challenge.
“They’ve got a lot of guys coming back,” Harvin said. “They’ve got some big offensive linemen that are powerful kids, and I think they’ve got a good quarterback back. They’re going to be dangerous.”
More than the final score, Harvin wants the scrimmage to reveal where the War Eagles stand before opening the regular season.
“It’s going to be a test for us,” Harvin said. “We're going to have to line up right, and we’re going to have to be physical. It’ll give us an idea of where we need to be.”