CHARLESTON -- Practice officially started for West Virginia high school football teams.

Many teams in the region will be having "two-a-days" to get conditioned for kick-off.

George Washington head football coach, Steve Edwards, says his team is ready to play 14 games again this season. "It should be the goal of every team in the state to have their eyes on 14 games this season, that means you make it all the way to play for the state championship."

Last season the Patriots fell short of the Class AAA title to South Charleston, 39 to 8 in Wheeling.

Monday morning, players were running plays and sprints at their first practice.

Players return in the afternoon for weight lifting and learning the game plan for 2009.

One thing Coach Edwards is excited about is the weather and the fact it is not raining today.

"The way the summer went I thought we'd need to be ready to go with maybe more mud, but its a great day with blue skies and the field is drying up."