Go Hounds Tourney builds support for Greyhounds as season approaches
Although some may associate Greyhound football as something isolated to Friday nights in the fall, it — as is other parts of America — is year-round with offseason workouts, weight training and other elements.
Building up support of the Greyhounds was the focus last weekend, more than a month before JCHS takes the field Aug. 8 to scrimmage Mary Persons.
About 20 two-person teams hit the links Friday and Saturday at Lake Jonesco Golf Course in the inaugural Go Hounds Golf Tournament with one simple goal — to support the Greyhounds football program.
“For most people, the concept of football is that it’s a sport that takes place in the fall. High School football has become a year-round activity,” said Jones County Touchdown Club President Brian Wall. “There is not a month in a year that coaches are not coaching their current crop of players or trying to work on what their future players will look like. So, for coaches to be able to do what they need to do, they need support year-round. It takes funds outside of what the school system can give you to be competitive.”
Wall said the funds raised over the weekend — which featured golf and other activities for golfers — will go toward paying for new uniforms and other expected needs during the season.
“Lots of sponsors have really stepped up to make this a quality event,” Wall said.
Wall knows first-hand about drumming up community support for the Greyhounds football program, having been involved in a similar capacity with the touchdown club from 2014 to 2019.
“It’s a labor of love. It’s something that I have come back to from what I did in a previous life,” Wall said.
As the start of the season approaches, the next step for the touchdown club will be a drive for signage and other sponsorships following the July 4th Weekend, along with season ticket sales of which season ticket holders from last season will have priority to renew their seats and parking.
It will all be part of the community in which everyone can rally around the school, something that Wall sees an a tremendous upside.
“As a community, I have seen over last 20-plus years that I have lived in Jones County that this is a good place to be in,” Wall said. “Everyone gets up every morning, puts the same hat on. It’s a lot easier for us, the county and our community to get behind something because there is less competition.”
Anyone seeking to get involved with the touchdown club in any way can call 478-288-1489 or email jctdclub@ gmail.com.
