LaGrange College head coach Todd Mooney has felt fortunate to have someone like Dialleo Burks on his coaching staff for the past four seasons, but he knew it was just a matter of time before he moved on.

That time has come.

Burks, a LaGrange High graduate who spent nearly a decade playing professional football, has finished his master’s degree at the school, and he has taken a full-time coaching position at Troup High.

Burks is a part of the new coaching staff put together by new Troup head coach Charles Flowers.

“Dialleo, if you’re from this area, you know him,” Mooney said. “You know

all the great things he has done.”

Mooney has also had to say goodbye to coach Rory Faver, who has been at the school for four seasons. Before that, Faver played at Rhodes while Mooney was a coach there.

Faver, who recently finished his master’s program, is returning to his home state of Texas.

“Rorie played for us at Rhodes when I was coaching there,” Mooney said.

“Rorie and I actually go back nine years. It’s been special with both of those guys.”

Burks brings plenty of coaching experience to his new school, and he’s alsohad quite a run as a player.

Burks was one of the top receivers in the Arena Football League for years, he also spent a year in the now defunct XFL, and he spent a couple of years in Europe.

When his playing days ended, he turned his attention to coaching, and he returned to his hometown.

“It’s been special with both of those guys,” Mooney said of Burks and Faver.

SUMMER PROGRAM: A few of the Panthers are in LaGrange this summer, but most of them are at their homes in Georgia and beyond.

All of the players, Mooney said, have access to their summer workout

program, which will have players in shape and ready to roll when preseason

practice comes around.

“They have access (to the summer program), and they’re doing it back home

in their local high-school gym or wherever,” Mooney said. “They know

exactly what they need to do.”

COMMON FOES: As the Panthers prepare for their fifth season, there are two

teams they have played every season, and that’s Maryville and Huntingdon.

Maryville has won three of the four meetings, with LaGrange College winning

in 2008 on the way to a 9-2 season and a berth in the playoffs.

Huntingdon has also won three of four against LaGrange College, with the

Panthers getting the upper hand in 2008.

While the Panthers are continuing their series with Maryville, they’re

dropping one team they’d played four times.

Shorter and LaGrange College had met every season since 2006, but they’re

not going to play this fall.