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July 30,2008 Section B The Banks County News Sports Editor: Chris Bridges Contact: 706-367-2745 www.mainstreetnewssports.com First & Ten ★ ★ ★ chris@mainstreetnews.com BY CHRIS BRIDGES Memories of trek to Falcon training camp T he Atlanta sports talk radio stations were cov ering the opening of Falcon training camp in recent days like it was the biggest news since the invention of the pigskin itself. I found all the coverage and hoopla a little ironic since most everyone is predicting the Falcons will finish in the neighborhood of how the Miami Dolphins did a season ago (remember 1-15?). Believe it or not, I’ve only been to one Falcon training camp ses sion and that has been some time ago. It was back during the sum mer of 1992 although it really doesn’t seem like 16 years ago. In fact, as I write this column I have to pause and ponder that 16 years have passed since that trip to the old training headquarters in Suwanee. During the summer of 1992, I was still a college student and was interning at a newspaper in the city of Jackson (note, Jackson, Ga. not nearby Jackson County.) I had written a story about the local 4-H group and some of the activi ties they did during the summer. Upon hearing the group had a scheduled trip to watch the Falcons practice, my face must have lit up because the advisor asked me if I would like to go with them. “You bet!” I said, taking about half a second to respond. “You could go with us as a chaperone,” she said. The trip would also give me a chance to write a first-hand account about the local group making the trip. It would be great all the way around, I thought. I remember leaving early in the morning, climbing on board a school bus and venturing toward the land of the Falcons. Practice was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and even though we were there a little before that the team was already on the field. The Man in Black Jerry Glanville was directing the Falcons in those days and see ing him direct a practice was a sight to behold in itself. With his white cowboy hat, sunglasses and airhorn in his back pocket, Glanville could be heard all over the practice facility. While the practice session was held in the morning, it was still summer in Georgia and I was amazed at how the players were able to perform in such extreme conditions. I do remember one assistant coach wearing an all black sweat suit during practice to show the rookies “it wasn’t as hot as they thought.” See First and Ten on page 3B Leopard Football Armstrong's BCHS squad returns to practice field Friday BY CHRIS BRIDGES After months of offseason conditioning and workouts, the Banks County High School football team will begin official preseason practice Friday. Coach Blair Armstrong is entering his sec ond season directing the Leopards and is looking forward to the start of fall practice which begins Friday at 8 a.m. BCHS players will practice in shorts and helmets during the first five days of practice before beginning full contact work on Friday, Aug. 8. “We will work on special teams and fine tune what we have worked on this summer during the first week since we will not be going full contact,” Armstrong said Sunday night. “We want to get the players used to going full time again and get them back in complete, football shape. We will begin pushing them a little more.” The Leopards have been extremely busy this offseason. From camps to time in the weight room, the players have shown their coaches they are willing to pay the price to be success- 30 DAYS ful, Armstrong said. Countdown Several players have to kickoff: been standouts including senior running back Justin Beasley, who rushed for 1,659 yards and scored 21 total touchdowns in 2007. “Justin has done very well this summer,” his head coach said. “He is a very hard worker. We are looking for great things out of him.” Beasley, who also participated in basketball and track following the 2007 football cam paign, is catching the eye of college gridiron scouts. Already Ole Miss, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennesee State have expressed interest in Beasley who has been timed at 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. Beasley is still weigh ing his post high school options concerning football. NOTES: The annual picture day has been set for Saturday, Aug. 9, at 9 a.m. Photos for football players, cheerleaders and band mem bers will be taken. Rudeseal Photography will handle picture day again this year. Summer Work: Dedicated To Getting Better CARNESVILLE CAMP (From left) Jeremy Greenway won third place for the Skill players, Kenny Langston won first place in the bull pull for the Skill players, Matthew Roper won second place for the Big Skill players and first place in the bull pull for the Big Skill players. Mitchell Reeves also won first place overall for the Big Skill players and Jacob Blalock won first place overall for the Skill players. Caleb McCoy won third place for the Big Skill players and Brett Bowman (not pictured) won second place overall for the Skill players. 7 know we will see the rewards this season from all this hard work' Young players attend camp to begin preparing BY CHRIS BRIDGES “Camp” has become a word many Banks County High School football players have become very familiar with this summer. Recently, 34 Leopard players attended a four-day, three night camp in Carnesville.The freshmen and sophomore players, accompa nied by Leopard coaches, used the time to prepare and bond for the upcoming season, which is now a month away. Several varsity upperclassmen attended the camp to help teach the younger players as well. Participating as demonstrators, they, along with the coaches, helped mold the underclassmen for the future. The varsity coaching staff held three two-hour practices per day working on fundamentals, tech niques, plays and schemes. BCHS head football coach Armstrong said: “This is a very important camp for our younger players. Our coaches got to work with them for four days and they just got better and better. It was very hard work, but the reward will really pay off during the season. I am especially proud of the three sophomores who had just gotten back from the defensive camp the day before and still came out to get better. The camp was perfect for what we needed to accomplish.” BCHS players and coaches were appreciative of the camp officials who made them feel at home during the time they were there, “The meals were incredible and the hospitality was unmatched,” Armstrong said. “And the Refuge Baptist Camp is only 20 minutes from our school up in Carnesville off of Prospect Road. I really have to thank Linda and Dillard Hudgins, owners and operators of the camp and their families. This has been a fantastic summer. I know we will see the rewards this season from all this hard work.” Up Next: Aug. 1: First Day of Practice Aug 15: Hosts Scrimmage against Johnson Aug. 29: Season Opener @ Wash.-Wilkes CANP WORK Varisty underclassmen work during a three-day camp in Carnesville earlier this month. Summer Battles BCHS hosts Gladiator War championships BY CHRIS BRIDGES The Lone Rangers rode again at Banks County High School last Friday morning. In the finals of the Gladiator Wars, the team of the Lone Rangers earned the championship after competing in events such as rolling a 55-gal- lon drum filled with 20 gallons of water up a hill, flipping large tractor tires for 15 yards, carrying tractor tires, pulling a weighted sled while seated on the ground, push ing a five-man sled and running the “Leopard obstacle course.” Captains for the Lone Rangers were Justin Bowen and Nick Sosebee. Other team members included Matthew Paton, Dylan Lackey, Logan Prater, Josh Staats and Thomas Baker. They earned first place in three of six events. The second place team trailed by just three points led by captains Tyler Hulsey and Zack Dale and team members Kane Duncan, Brad Anderson, Nathan Krumnow and Jacob Blalock. The runner-up team used three second-place individual finishes to stay in contention along with three third-place wins. B any Whitfield, Zach Sprayberry, Jameson Flyn, Clay Frink and Brandon Law comprised the third place team while Justin Lewallen and Justen Scott led the fourth place team consisting of members Riley Nicholson, Mitchell Reeves, Nathan Mathis, Joseph Denton and Jeff Smith. See Gladiators on page 3B SHOW OF STRENGTH Demetric Dempson takes part in the Gladiator Wars Friday at the Banks County High School practice field. Photo by Lyn Sengupta JangerTown Centre Value Shopping at its Best! Reebok • Old Navy • Paper Factory • Papa John’s Pizza * Petsense _ ^ Hibbett Sports * Nail Pearl SJan * Dressbarn * Nova Cinemas • And More! t) Q ] W Commerce, GA ■ 1-85, Banks Crossing, Exit 149 * 706-335-3354 - Monday-Saturday 9-9, Sunday 12-6 Enjoy our WEEKLY OFFERS at TangerTown Centre FACTOIf OUTL1T fTOIE Nature’s Miracle Stain & Oder Remover $5.99 (save up to S3.G01 Z4oz sprsy or 32 m relilt with this coupon Oder 0/1 QflB Valid at the Tanger Town Centre location only. Some exclusions may apply. 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