Early morning practice begins ground work for next freshmen players
Rising-ninth grade camp helps lay foundation for new Hounds When the Greyhounds took the field pre-dawn on Monday morning to begin spring practice, it marked the next step in building toward the Aug. 21 season opener against Valdosta.
But it also came on the heels of bolstering the program’s foundation.
A soon-arriving crop of Jones County players, rising ninth graders, made their way onto the practice field last week for four days of workouts with the JCHS coaching staff, a span consisting of workouts on the field and inside the weight room to get used to all the ins, outs, and nuances of being part of the Greyhounds football program.
It’s geared toward helping all of them be ready to go when summer workouts arrive, and a handful also took part in this week’s spring practice at the high school.
Last week’s work marked the first foray into going from practicing and playing on the fields at Clifton Ridge or Gray Station Middle to JCHS, being part of ninth grade, JV, and eventually, Friday nights at Greyhound Field.
“It’s huge for our program. We need connection with those guys. We want to share our vison, mission, and core values with them,” Greyhounds head coach Justin Montgomery said.
“They’re a smart group, really athletic group. We’re really excited to get them out here this summer.”
Part of the time on the field included learning things such as how practice drills work and even things like how practice concludes. It’s all part of helping shorten the on-ramp for new players going toward the summer.
“It’s been a really exciting week of them getting to know the coaches, and understanding what we’re about,” Montgomery said. “We’re starting to grow roots with these guys; that’s the main thing.”
