AHOSKIE – There’s a new attitude prevailing in Hertford County.

New Bears’ football boss Greg Watford is already retooling the Hertford County High School program to his specifications – and everyone seems receptive to the new plan.

Watford, who will be instituting the Triple Option as the primary offense of the Bears, spent two weeks at Georgia Southern University recently, taking 15 of the HCHS players to camp.

&uot;We went down and the kids did really well,&uot; Watford said. &uot;We had two of them that brought home awards from the camp because of their outstanding performances.&uot;

Senior quarterback Ken Lee was named &uot;Best Passer&uot; at the camp while lineman Tydreke Powell was named &uot;Best Camper – Junior Division.&uot;

During the two separate weeks of workouts with skill position players and lineman, Watford said his players started to learn the ins and outs of the new offensive system.

Overall, the Bears are running their first-ever summer drills as they prepare for the 2004 season and Watford said he feels things are going well.

&uot;Overall things are good,&uot; he said. &uot;The kids are catching on to my way of thinking. My way is a little different.

&uot;We are going to focus on teamwork and work ethic,&uot; he continued. &uot;Our main problem is that we have so many young kids who don’t know what the varsity game is all about.&uot;

Watford said during a recent conversation with one of his former players at West Carteret, he was asked which team worked harder.

&uot;I had to tell him the kids here do so far,&uot; Watford said. &uot;Honestly, they do.&uot;

Watford said he was pleasantly surprised with the way things were going so far and the way the players responded.

&uot;The championship mentality I thought I would have to develop is already here,&uot; he said. &uot;That’s a credit to Dealton Cotton and Coach (Daryl) Allen.&uot;

As far as the coming campaign, Watford had a quick answer.

&uot;I can’t wait,&uot; he said. &uot;This will be the quickest team I’ve ever coached. I can’t wait to get into pads and play football.&uot;

The coach said he was appreciative of everyone who had helped with his transition and especially thanked those who helped send the players to Georgia Southern.

They were Howard Hunter III, Larry and Dr. Beverly Edwards, Almarie Lee, Major and Mrs. Wallace White, Drs. Rodney and Kim Sessoms and Hertford County QUOLA.