VIDALIA — New Vidalia head football coach Gary Parnham can’t remember the last time the Vikings had a Blue and White spring game.

But this Saturday at 2 p.m., Vidalia fans will be treated to just that, thanks to a new LHSAA rule that goes into effect next year.

“This is the first time we’ve had a spring game in a while,” Parnham said. “I think the last one we had I played in. I know this is our first time for spring training in 10 years.

“The LHSAA said, starting next year, teams can only have 10 days of spring training, and they can’t play another team in a spring game. We decided to go ahead and follow that rule this year so we can get used to doing it that way. It doesn’t really hurt us that the association decided to go that way, because I’d rather have it that way myself.”

Parnham said the team will be divided in half for the spring game, and that officials will run the game about like they would a regular game in the fall.

“We’re going to try to play as close to a real game as we can,” Parnham said.

“Spring games were always a fun thing back when I played. It created good, spirited competition between the players, and at the end, they came back together as a team and regrouped.”

In his first spring on the job as a head coach, Parnham said he’s gotten a lot of positive reaction from the players towards what he’s trying to instill in them.

“We changed up a few things and we’re installing a new playing system, and so far I feel like it’s been a good response,” Parnham said. “There was a little hesitance from them at first, but they’ve really jumped on board.

“The best thing about this spring is that, so far, we haven’t had any major injuries. We’ve done a lot of hitting, which is what you usually try get in this time of year.”

But even though he’s putting in a new system on offense and defense, Parnham warned fans not to expect his team to come out with guns blazing Saturday.

“Fans are going to see a very vanilla part of it Saturday,” Parnham said. “They won’t get to see the whole package until the fall.”