The 2008 edition of the Avery Vikings football team ventured off the mountain last week to Boiling Springs, NC for Team Camp, sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A total contingent of 22 players strapped on their helmets on the campus of Gardner-Webb University and joined seven other teams from across the region for three grueling days of workouts, drills, and passing league contests.Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said the camps are an important part of the Vikings’ football program as preparations continue for this fall’s campaign.
“We hope the camp will bring us together as a football team,” he said. “Being able to stay in the dorm together, eat meals together, and work out as a team is a good thing that we will reap benefits from.”
Unlike many of the summer events in recent years, last week’s camp provided the opportunity for linemen to join skill players in working to better themselves for the upcoming season. Tabbed by teammates as the “Wild Hogs”, the offensive and defensive linemen received intense training targeted at developing their skills offering specialized instruction.
“In the summer there are all kinds of passing tournaments and passing leagues, but the linemen kind of get left out, which I guess to an extent has been my fault,” Coach Brewer said. “The passing league group gets in 12 games and linemen are working during that same time on footwork and steps which will only help them and our entire team be ahead of the curve come July.”
Avery had the opportunity to face a number of teams with varying degrees of skill level. The Vikings met a team with blazing speed in Asheville High School, while in another contest faced a school in Central Academy of Monroe who is only in its second year of existence.
As for the Vikings, a number of players made the most of the camp and impressed a number of coaches and observers. “We had a bunch of kids who looked good. Adam Pate threw the ball extremely well. Dylan Aldridge caught the football well despite a hurt foot. Chris Childress came out and joined us for the first time since his accident. We didn’t expect to have him until August and we’re blessed that he has been able to work with us,” the coach stated. “One player particularly who impressed me has been Taylor Potter. He has shown a lot of toughness on the field. He’s just a sophomore but he’s out there working hard and doing a good job. I could just go on, but as a whole all our kids have worked hard and had a good attitude.”
Last week’s camp was the first team camp the Big Red has attended since Brewer became the Avery head coach back in 2004, but he felt this year’s squad had the maturity and unity to gain from such an experience.“This was a good group that I felt like we could really take off with and have a little fun with as a team,” the coach added. “We used to go to Western Carolina when I was an assistant, and a camp like this really focuses a team. If you can get a group focused in June and carry that momentum into July and August, it will really pay dividends for them as players and for us as a team.”
The camp, organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, placed great emphasis on sportsmanship, individual and team character, and positive attitudes both on the field and off. Camp instructors taught the importance of being passionate players on the gridiron and productive individuals in the classroom and in life.
“One of the big reasons I wanted to come here was the ethical emphasis and positive messages of what the camp represents,” Coach Brewer stressed. “We get wrapped up in the game and I guess I’m the world’s worst. But anyone who believes in God or is a Christian believes there are things much more important than football. If the kids who attend camp can get something positive from the experience, what better way is there to spend your time?”
Avery will take some time off from team on-field activities, but will return to the field later in July for 7-on-7 events and the official beginning of football season on July 28th.
