MAN – Preseason games are designed to challenge your football team and make you better.

The George Washington Patriots have certainly given the Man High School Hillbillies a stern test over the last few years.

Man is scheduled to open the preseason on Saturday morning at 10 once again at Triple-A George Washington. The Patriots were last year’s Class AAA state runner-ups as GW lost 39-8 to South Charleston at Wheeling Island Stadium in the state finals.

After battling with the Patriots, Man goes to Tug Valley on Friday, Aug. 21 for the final preseason test.

Man, 8-4 last year and a Class A state quarterfinalist, opens the regular season Aug. 28 at home against 3A county rival Logan. There’s lots of anticipation in Man this fall.

A total of 52 players are out for football this season and plenty of starters are back on both sides of the ball. Man is hoping to finish in the top eight to garner its first home playoff game in many years.

The Billies might just have the team to do it.

Man was the No. 9 seed in both the 2005 and 2008 playoffs under head coach Harvey Arms – winning a first-round playoff game each year – and was the No. 13 seed in 2004.

Arms said his team has been hard at work the last week and a half in preparation for the upcoming grid campaign.

“Practices have gone really good,” Arms said. “We’ve got 52 kids. We’re working hard and the kids have come back in real good shape. We’ve had some good practices and the weather has been pretty decent. So far, it’s been one of the better first weeks that we’ve had.”

Arms said scrimmaging George Washington the last few years has made his team better even if the Billies at times seemed overmatched.

“When we go to play a team of their caliber it shows us at what point we are and what we’ve got to do,” he said. “When you go over there you are facing a great program. Every year they show us that we’ve got some things to work on. It helps us. We’re a Single-A program and we don’t have near as many players but if we go over there, compete well and execute well we feel like we will be able to compete well on our schedule because no one on our schedule we feel is the caliber of a GW. Last year, they went all the way to the Triple-A state finals. They just have a great program year in and year out. One of the best things that I think that we’ve done over the last four or five years has been to go over there and scrimmage them. It just shows us where we are at.”

Going to the playoffs for the third time in the last five years last fall was a big boost to the Man program, which has rebounded nicely since Arms took over the reigns in 2002.

After beating Mount Hope, 27-6, in the first round of the playoffs, the Billies went to No. 1-ranked Williamstown and gave the Yellow Jackets all they wanted before falling 21-16. Williamstown went on to take the Class A state championship with a 23-7 victory over Madonna at Wheeling Island Stadium.

“Last year gave us a lot of excitement about this year,” Arms said. “We’ve got a lot of our kids back from last year. They learned a lot of things from the playoff experience, making those trips and playing that kind of competition. It’s made them excited about the season. They were telling me right after Christmas last year, ‘Coach, I can’t wait. I can’t wait.’ It has enthused them and they have worked hard in the weight room during the off-season. I think right now we’re a little bit ahead of schedule than we have been in the past.”

Man only lost a few players due to graduation.

Some of those players were key, however, including quarterback Cory Spence and running back Khris Tolliver, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season. Also lost were Cody Harvey, David Johnson and Cody Eplin.

Plenty of key returnees are back, however, including a trio of running backs – Brandon Plymale, Derek Lomax and Michael Lomax – lineman Manuel Gibson and kicker/tight end/linebacker Derrick Earnest.

Earnest’s strong leg proved to be huge last season for the Billies as he kicked key field goals in the games against Chapmanville and Wyoming East.

The field goal against Chapmanville came from 38 yards out.

The Billies’ 2009 schedule is almost exact from last year although Man will play Matewan in the Saturday, Nov. 7 finale at home. The Tigers replace Iaeger on the slate.

Man has six home games this fall and open Aug. 28 at home against Class AAA county rival Logan. The Billies then go to 2A Mount View on Sept. 4 and then play at 2A Westside on Sept. 11 before hosting St. Marys on Sept. 18. Man has an open date on Sept. 25 and then goes to Fayetteville on Oct. 2.

The Billies follow that up by hosting county rival and Double-A Chapmanville on Oct. 9, before hosting Gilbert on Oct. 16 and 2A Wyoming East on Oct. 23. Man then goes to Buffalo on Oct. 30 before closing out at home against Matewan.