Paulding County Rotary Club last week hosted the inaugural Paulding Pigskin Preview at the Dallas Civic Center, allowing all five Paulding County high school football coaches to give some insight on their programs and boost excitement for the upcoming season.

“We wanted to give the coaches and players some recognition and time to talk about their plans,” said Ford Thigpen, member of the Rotary Club, president of Westside Bank and the event organizer.

Hiram Coach Andy Dorsey said the event was a “great way to get football season cranked off” and how important each game will be for the Hornets this year.

“Game one matters. In the past we’ve had a couple games to work some kinks out, but not this year,” said Dorsey, as his team plays a 10-game region schedule.

South Paulding Coach Tim Glanton recalled his 2011 team but expressed his hopeful outlook on the 2012 season.

“We fell short of our goal last year. We shot ourselves in the foot during the last game of the season against Chapel Hill, but I feel pretty good about the kids that are coming back,” said Glanton, referring to the loss which kept them from the playoffs.

Paulding County Coach Scott Hamilton stressed the importance of having a family atmosphere.

“I care about them as people much more than football players…If you invest, good things are going to happen,” Hamilton said.

First-year East Paulding Coach Chuck Goddard discussed his excitement about coaching the Raiders and who he thinks will lead the team this year.

“I think we’ll be led by our offensive line. They play with so much character, I think we’ll be all right,” he said.

First-year North Paulding Coach Scott Jones mentioned an internal factor that makes the Wolfpack a contender.

“We don’t have a whole lot of kids with a whole lot of skills, but we do have a whole lot of kids with a whole lot of heart,” Jones said.

Thigpen evaluated the 95 attendees and said he received a good feeling about the event.

“With the turnout, I think this could become an annual event,” he said.