Dougherty football building around improved line play for 2026 season

ALBANY – Before the wins come, before the playoffs are discussed and before the bright lights of Friday night return, football teams are built in the quiet weeks of summer.

For Dougherty, that’s where head coach Uyl Joyner believes the biggest strides have been made.

With the Georgia High School Association’s annual “Dead Week” bringing a temporary pause to football activities, the Trojans enter July encouraged by what they accomplished during June workouts, particularly after competing in last week’s OTA sessions at Westover High School.

Now the challenge becomes turning offseason progress into victories after a difficult 2-9 season in 2025.

“I really like what I’ve seen from our defensive line,” Joyner said. “That has been our major focus in the offseason and I’m really seeing growth. The offensive line has improved too, so I think we are moving in the right direction.”

That assessment might not generate the same excitement as discussing quarterbacks or explosive receivers, but Joyner knows championships — and playoff appearances — are almost always decided where the average fan rarely looks.

Dougherty’s rebuilding effort starts up front.

Three members of last year’s starting offensive line were freshmen, forced into varsity action before they were fully developed. Those growing pains came with mistakes, but they also provided valuable experience.

Now those same linemen return as sophomores with a full year of varsity football, months in the weight room and a much greater understanding of the game.

“The jump from freshman to sophomore is big,” Joyner said. “They know a lot more now than they did a year ago plus we’ve had time together and spent time in the weight room.”

If that growth continues, it could unlock the Trojans’ biggest offensive weapons.

Senior David “Blue” Burgess returns as one of Southwest Georgia’s most versatile playmakers. Whether he lines up at quarterback, wide receiver or another offensive position, Burgess has the athletic ability to change games with the ball in his hands.

The Trojans also welcome back sophomore quarterback Micah Joyner, whose promising freshman season was cut short by injury.

Before being sidelined, Joyner threw for more than 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in just eight games, displaying poise beyond his years while giving Dougherty optimism about the future.

With another offseason of development and improved protection in front of him, the sophomore could become one of the more dangerous young quarterbacks in Class AAAA.

But individual talent alone won’t guarantee success.

Last season, Dougherty squeezed into the state playoffs after earning just one Region victory — a win over crosstown rival Monroe.

This fall promises to be much tougher.

Realignment has created a daunting nine-team Region 1-AAAA that stretches from Columbus to the Florida state line. Familiar rivals Bainbridge, Cairo, Monroe and Westover remain on the schedule, but the Trojans now add four Columbus-area schools — Columbus, Shaw, Spencer and Hardaway — to one of the state’s deepest football regions.

There will be little margin for error.

The expanded region means every Friday night becomes more significant, and every victory harder to earn.

That’s why Joyner has spent so much of the offseason emphasizing fundamentals instead of flash.

Building stronger offensive and defensive lines won’t make preseason highlight reels, but it gives the Trojans their best chance to compete against larger, more experienced opponents throughout the fall.

After a week away from organized football during Dead Week, Dougherty will return next week to begin preparations for August.

The Trojans open preseason play with an Aug. 14 scrimmage against Northside-Columbus before officially kicking off the 2026 season Aug. 27 against a highly regarded Sumter County team expected to contend for the Class AAA state championship.

For a program looking to take the next step, the foundation appears stronger than it was a year ago.

Now comes the hard part.

The lines have to keep improving, the young quarterback has to stay healthy, and the Trojans must prove that offseason promise can translate into Friday night success against one of Georgia’s toughest region schedules.