With spring practice wrapping up this week, the Demopolis High School football team is continuing to work to replace 32 graduating seniors.

With reclassification this year, DHS head coach Tom Causey said it’s a good year to be a young team.

“Five of the eight teams in our region are new to 5A,” he said. “Helena is a new school, and Calera, Dallas County, Jemison and Wilcox Central were all 4A last year. Timing is everything.”

Causey said the team has given good effort in spring practice.

“We’re getting looks at multiple guys at multiple positions,” he said. “We lost 18 of our 26 starters if you count specialists, so all of those positions are open. And the guys coming back that were starters have to play for their spots too. Competition breeds success, and this gives guys the opportunity to learn different positions in case we need them in an emergency situation during the season.”

Demopolis will play a scripted spring game at Wayne County High School in Mississippi with Wayne County, Thomasville and Neshoba Central, where former Sweet Water head coach Stacy Luker is at the helm.

Both the varsity and junior varsity teams will play situational scrimmages, then there will be a two-minute drive and four-minute drive situation for teams to practice.

“With us having limited days of practice in the spring, we’re treating it like an extra day of practice,” Causey said. “The Mississippi teams have six extra days of practice than we do. I think it’s important for us to go over there and practice these situations to help us become a better football team.”