By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Ready or not, it’s time to play football.

The Unity Preparatory Academy of West Georgia football team will open its season in a little more than a week, and it will take a test run on Friday.

Unity Prep will be on the road on Friday to play the Douglasville Knights in a preseason game, and it will open its season on Aug 18 at John Hancock Academy in Sparta.

For the past few weeks, the players and coaches have been getting together in the mornings to practice, with first-year head coach Dra Bray leading the way.

While some of the players are hold-overs from a year ago when the school was located in East Point, there are also plenty of new faces.

While practice helps, Bray figures the best thing to do is go out and play a game.

“A preseason game is definitely needed, so we can see what you’re working with the next week,” Bray said.

Bray likes what he’s seen so far.

While Bray won’t have a full measure of what the team will look like until school begins on Monday, he said there are plenty of play-makers on the roster.

Among that group is the versatile Derieko Render, who Bray said will “play wherever we need him.”

Other men Bray will be counting on are wide receiver Demarco White, running back Jeff Bray, and defensive standout Devin Bray.

Bray said his message to all of the players is to “take advantage of the opportunity.”

“You’ve got an opportunity to come over here and play,” Bray added. “You’ve got to go out and play ball and compete.”