The Bradwell football fan base definitely is ready for some football.
However, Tiger Nation did make time for some golf this weekend. Twenty-one teams competed in the inaugural Bradwell Tigers Touchdown Club golf tournament Saturday at Cherokee Rose Country Club.
Though the booster club initially was organized last season, it was reorganized under new auspices and leadership as new head coach Adam Carter took charge of the Bradwell Institute football team last April.
Members of the touchdown club already have raised a large amount of money through an initial membership drive and donations by individuals, and businesses gave money to the Bradwell football program to buy new weights emblazoned with blue and gold.
“We have a lot of goals coming up especially during the season. The biggest thing is going to be feed players before games and feed them after road games. We are hopefully going to have game-day T-shirts also to get the student body excited about Friday nights and Bradwell Tiger football,” Bradwell Touchdown Club President Craig Stafford said.
Stafford, a local attorney and former Tiger quarterback, was in awe of the support the group had for Saturday’s golf tournament.
“We sold 70 hole sponsorships at $100 and 21 foursomes, so we probably should clear $10,000,” Stafford said.
Hinesville Ford offered a Ford vehicle for a hole-in-one, but no one hit an ace.
Stafford credited the hard work of the entire organization, but especially the effort of former Tiger head football coach Clifford Johnson. Besides being one of the major organizers, Johnson’s foursome also won the tournament, shooting 17 under par. Paul Rose, Andy Anderson and Art Gelon were the other team members.
“Today’s tournament was what I thought it would be and even more than I was expecting. It has been really great,” Carter said. “The touchdown club and coach Johnson did an amazing job putting this together. The touchdown club has done a lot for the program and continues to work hard for us every day, and we are really grateful.”
The Tigers summer is winding down, with the first day of practice, Aug. 1, rapidly approaching. The Tigers last week returned from a camp at the University of West Georgia in Carrolton, which Carter said was a great experience for the team.
Stafford said that as the season inches closer, the touchdown club will be working on increasing their numbers during their membership drive. Membership is available at different levels. Currently, the club’s goal is to sell as many season tickets as possible.
“Mr. Carrier, the principal of Bradwell Institute, is going to allow us to set up a table at open house at Bradwell on Aug. 5, so we cordially invite anyone that  is interested to come by and visit with us,” Stafford said.
An important event for the club is 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, in the Bradwell Institute cafeteria.
“This is going to be one of the most important meetings of the year for us, because it will be the first general-membership meeting of the touchdown club. We really would like to get a lot of the parents there,” Stafford said.