During offseason summer football workouts, there are multiple ways in which teams work to improve and get better.
One of them came for the Greyhounds last week as they headed to Athens to take part in Georgia’s 7-on-7 tournament.
There was a bit of meaning behind it for the Greyhounds, as it also afforded players and coaches to visit with Georgia tight ends coach and JCHS alumnus Todd Hartley.
But beyond that, Jones County went up against some stout competition, facing Roswell, Lee County, Douglas County and Lowndes. The Greyhounds ended up 1-3, dropping losses by close margins with the win coming against a Lowndes team that tied for a region title last year and boasted one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks in Jayce Johnson.
“We made some plays in that one. For us, it’s about playing against us. When we executed, we played well,” Montgomery said. “The ones that we lost, if we lined up in a week with the growth that we are having, the results are probably different. It fires me up how talented we are, but we also have lots of guys who have never played on a Friday night.”
The Greyhounds’ overall showing is why Montgomery saw a lot to be excited about coming away from last week.
“We have a lot to clean up. That 7-on-7 tournament, it really helped us see some areas where we need to grow up and get better and for our guys to see how important eye discipline is on defense,” Montgomery said. “It also showed us that we have some guys who can make plays. We were able to throw the ball deep and make catches. You always love it when everyone has their eyes on you and can make a big play. That goes a long way, and those tournaments highlight those moments for the kids.”
But things like 7-on-7 tournaments are only one part of the summer, and the Greyhounds got back to working on themselves Monday morning to begin their final two weeks of work before the GHSA-mandated dead week that’ll lead into July.
With coaches preaching things like “discipline and details,” the Greyhounds found themselves back on the field Monday morning.
“We teach our players ‘how you do anything is how you do everything,’” Montgomery said. “From tucking your shirt in, how you toe the line in meetings, taking your earring out before you lift, and making sure you have something to write with in meetings, that stuff has to be a way of life and when you do that, the football side, it takes care of itself.”
