Bradwell Institute head football coach Greg Hill took his players back to his alma mater last week for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes football camp at Georgia Southern University.
The Tigers competed against Battery Creek, Chamblee, Hebron and other Georgia schools in a passing league and lineman competitions.
Since it is mainly a passing camp, the Tigers got to work on a part of their offense that they haven’t utilized a lot. The backs also got some work, running a variety of routes that could be used during the season.
On defense, Bradwell’s linebackers and secondary showed the senior leadership the Tigers will depend on.
Senior linebackers Isaiah Barnes and Jeff Andrew certainly were visible. The Tigers linebackers showed they will be a factor covering short routes, either knocking the ball away or stopping a player once they have caught the ball on a slant or quick out.
“We have been working to get better this summer. We still have a lot of work to do,” Bradwell defensive coordinator Derek Sills said. “Defensively, you find out a lot more when players strap up the pads. They have been working hard, though, and we just have to keep working hard. We are lucky to have some senior leadership, but we have got to remember we need to get better every repetition.”
The linemen were the only players wearing pads at the camp. Offensive coordinator David NeSmith made the most of this time as the Tigers learned a new blocking scheme. The line has decent size, but according to NeSmith, there’s not a lot of depth.
Bradwell practiced twice a day for the three-day camp, allowing coaches to spend quality time working with players on technique. Camps isolate players from outside influences, allow them to focus on football and have experiences that can build team cohesion. Those bonding experiences will be key to the development of Hill’s players as they enter one of the state’s toughest regions.
Bradwell Athletic Director Ken Griffin, who has made a point to visit the Tigers at camp, was impressed with the Georgia Southern FCA camp.
“Our players were fortunate to attend at the camp at GSU. The camp gave the players the opportunity to be surrounded by quality teams,” he said. “Also, they had the opportunity to live a college-football setting. I hope that our players realized the opportunities that are available to them when they work hard on the field.”
The FCA sponsored the camp, with Coastal Plains FCA Director Boyd Green serving as host and South Georgia FCA Director Brad Lane and Golden Isles FCA Director Tim Harden assisting. The camp’s goal is to not only improve a player’s technique, but also to increase and deepen their faith through inspiration and motivational activities.