Are you jonesing for some pad-crushing, dive-catching football? Summer isn’t normally the time for football, unless you’re talking about the semi-pro league.
The Hinesville Hurricanes are hitting the pads and throwing the pigskin three days a week at practice as players hone skills for the summer league.
This year, the return of the 3rd Infantry Division will boost the Hurricanes bench.
“Eighty percent of our players from last season are coming back,” offensive coach Michael “Ice” Jones said. “And most of the players we didn’t have last year due to the deployment are joining us once again. A lot of key players are back in the offense. We didn’t lose our key players we are just adding more to our roster. The best thing about practice so far is we are able to spend more time on execution.”
In addition to the return of the soldiers, the Hurricanes recruited a former high school quarterback.
“We got a young rookie quarterback coming in this season,” Jones said. “He played for Liberty County when he was in high school. His name is Quincy Thomas.”
Coach Jones said he also has stellar player Timothy Sapp returning and plans to give him an opportunity to make the plays.
“He (Sapp) can play all around,” Jones said. “I told him I would give him a chance at QB this season.”
“We have a couple of newbies that look good and we still have more coming as the returning soldiers finish their debriefing,” defensive coach James Sharp said.
Sharp said with more players coming he plans to keep the defense strategy simple, yet multi-faceted.
“We use a 4-3 defense because it allows us to move people around and place them in positions we need them at,” he said. “But we also use the 5-2, it gives us more coverage.”
Among returning players is Sharp’s son James III (Jamie). Last season he sat out a few games because of a shoulder injury, but said he is ready to go.
“The shoulder is fine,” he said. “I’m rehabbing it and other than the regular soreness you feel after practice, it felt good after hitting with the pads last week.”
Coach Jones, Sharp and most of the players are preparing for another grueling season but most have one team in mind.
“The South Georgia Warriors,” player Sharp said. “We owe them a lot. They beat us in the fourth quarter in the first round of the playoffs last season.”
“It’s always going to be the Savannah Seaport Sharks and us,” coach Jones said. “But the South Georgia Warriors (of Thomasville) that’s the team we would like to beat. We can play with them as long as we cut down on turnovers and execute. The team with fewer mistakes will win. We should have beaten them last time.”
Coach Jones said he plans to stick to the basics and the I-formation for offense.
“The South Georgia Warriors went undefeated in the first round last season,” coach Sharp said. “We want to bring them down. That game is going to be our regular season, home opener at Liberty Field. The game is going to be dedicated to my wife.
Sharp’s wife, Mary Jo, died about 4 months ago after a prolonged illness.
“There is definitely someone missing from the sidelines,” Jamie said. “It’s crazy. Even when it was not football season I would go home and talk to her about football and there’s that void there this season.”
“I’m going to hit to make them quit,” K.B. Brown said. The 6’4”, 285-pound defensive player, who wears a bracelet with “heart” on it as a tribute to Mary Jo, said he plans to make his presence known.
“She is the 11th man that is now missing from the field,” he said. “No one could ever replace her and everyone on the team should do all they can to honor her and her family.”
The regular season starts in June, but the Hurricanes have scheduled a pre-season game at the Gator Bowl on Fort Stewart May 3 against the Waycross Firebirds.
“We have not played Waycross before,” coach Jones said. “We don’t know them and they don’t know us. It’s a good way to start the first game.”
The Hurricanes practice in the field adjacent to Live Oak Church of God every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday starting at 7 p.m.
Hurricane schedule
Pre-season
May 3, Hurricanes vs. Waycross Firebirds at the Gator Bowl on Fort Stewart
Regular season
June 7, Hurricanes at South Georgia Warriors, 7 p.m., Thomasville
June 14, Hurricanes at home vs. Savannah Seaport Sharks, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
June 21, Hurricanes at Waycross Firebirds, 5 p.m.
June 28 Hurricanes at home vs. Macon Warriors, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
July 12, Hurricanes at South Georgia Stars, 7 p.m. Americus
July 19, Hurricanes at home vs. Waycross Firebirds, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
July 26, Hurricanes at Savannah Seaport Sharks, 7 p.m. Savannah
Aug. 2, Hurricanes at home vs. South Georgia warriors, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
Aug. 9, Hurricanes at Macon Warriors, TBA
Aug. 16, Hurricanes at home vs. South Georgia Stars, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
Aug. 30 First round of playoff, TBD
Sept. 6, Second round of playoffs, TBD
Sept. 20 Championship game
General admission for games is $6 for adults and children older than 12.
The Hinesville Hurricanes are hitting the pads and throwing the pigskin three days a week at practice as players hone skills for the summer league.
This year, the return of the 3rd Infantry Division will boost the Hurricanes bench.
“Eighty percent of our players from last season are coming back,” offensive coach Michael “Ice” Jones said. “And most of the players we didn’t have last year due to the deployment are joining us once again. A lot of key players are back in the offense. We didn’t lose our key players we are just adding more to our roster. The best thing about practice so far is we are able to spend more time on execution.”
In addition to the return of the soldiers, the Hurricanes recruited a former high school quarterback.
“We got a young rookie quarterback coming in this season,” Jones said. “He played for Liberty County when he was in high school. His name is Quincy Thomas.”
Coach Jones said he also has stellar player Timothy Sapp returning and plans to give him an opportunity to make the plays.
“He (Sapp) can play all around,” Jones said. “I told him I would give him a chance at QB this season.”
“We have a couple of newbies that look good and we still have more coming as the returning soldiers finish their debriefing,” defensive coach James Sharp said.
Sharp said with more players coming he plans to keep the defense strategy simple, yet multi-faceted.
“We use a 4-3 defense because it allows us to move people around and place them in positions we need them at,” he said. “But we also use the 5-2, it gives us more coverage.”
Among returning players is Sharp’s son James III (Jamie). Last season he sat out a few games because of a shoulder injury, but said he is ready to go.
“The shoulder is fine,” he said. “I’m rehabbing it and other than the regular soreness you feel after practice, it felt good after hitting with the pads last week.”
Coach Jones, Sharp and most of the players are preparing for another grueling season but most have one team in mind.
“The South Georgia Warriors,” player Sharp said. “We owe them a lot. They beat us in the fourth quarter in the first round of the playoffs last season.”
“It’s always going to be the Savannah Seaport Sharks and us,” coach Jones said. “But the South Georgia Warriors (of Thomasville) that’s the team we would like to beat. We can play with them as long as we cut down on turnovers and execute. The team with fewer mistakes will win. We should have beaten them last time.”
Coach Jones said he plans to stick to the basics and the I-formation for offense.
“The South Georgia Warriors went undefeated in the first round last season,” coach Sharp said. “We want to bring them down. That game is going to be our regular season, home opener at Liberty Field. The game is going to be dedicated to my wife.
Sharp’s wife, Mary Jo, died about 4 months ago after a prolonged illness.
“There is definitely someone missing from the sidelines,” Jamie said. “It’s crazy. Even when it was not football season I would go home and talk to her about football and there’s that void there this season.”
“I’m going to hit to make them quit,” K.B. Brown said. The 6’4”, 285-pound defensive player, who wears a bracelet with “heart” on it as a tribute to Mary Jo, said he plans to make his presence known.
“She is the 11th man that is now missing from the field,” he said. “No one could ever replace her and everyone on the team should do all they can to honor her and her family.”
The regular season starts in June, but the Hurricanes have scheduled a pre-season game at the Gator Bowl on Fort Stewart May 3 against the Waycross Firebirds.
“We have not played Waycross before,” coach Jones said. “We don’t know them and they don’t know us. It’s a good way to start the first game.”
The Hurricanes practice in the field adjacent to Live Oak Church of God every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday starting at 7 p.m.
Hurricane schedule
Pre-season
May 3, Hurricanes vs. Waycross Firebirds at the Gator Bowl on Fort Stewart
Regular season
June 7, Hurricanes at South Georgia Warriors, 7 p.m., Thomasville
June 14, Hurricanes at home vs. Savannah Seaport Sharks, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
June 21, Hurricanes at Waycross Firebirds, 5 p.m.
June 28 Hurricanes at home vs. Macon Warriors, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
July 12, Hurricanes at South Georgia Stars, 7 p.m. Americus
July 19, Hurricanes at home vs. Waycross Firebirds, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
July 26, Hurricanes at Savannah Seaport Sharks, 7 p.m. Savannah
Aug. 2, Hurricanes at home vs. South Georgia warriors, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
Aug. 9, Hurricanes at Macon Warriors, TBA
Aug. 16, Hurricanes at home vs. South Georgia Stars, 7 p.m. Liberty Field
Aug. 30 First round of playoff, TBD
Sept. 6, Second round of playoffs, TBD
Sept. 20 Championship game
General admission for games is $6 for adults and children older than 12.