The Lamar County Trojans hosted the Taylor County Vikings for a controlled football scrimmage to kick off a brand new season. Thunder Alley lived up to its nickname in the moments leading up to the preseason contest as lightning and heavy rain christened the night under the lights. By game time, the weather cleared just enough for the coaches to get the go-ahead to put their teams on the field to stretch and play.
Head Coach Travis Ellington was pleased with what he saw from his squad, emphasizing the importance of evaluation.
“We were able to get a lot of players (on film). Many of them showed some really good things. We had a lot of bright spots and things we still need to get better at.”
Ellington emphasized offensive production on the ground and in the air. He also noticed “some bright spots with some offensive linemen.” Also, he thought kickers performed well on kickoffs, field goals, and punts, though those plays were not live. On defense, a rotating cast of players got valuable reps.
Photo by Sandy Dilbeck – Amazing Grace Photography
“Our goal in this scrimmage was to get as many players some reps and have them evaluated before the regular season,” Ellington said. “Our job as coaches is to now get everyone in the right spot to make us as good as we can be.”
Ellington thanked the faithful fans who came to the scrimmage and supported the team.
Next Friday, August 8, the Trojans will travel to Schley County for the final preseason scrimmage. The game will begin at 7:30 PM. Fans can expect the next scrimmage to be more “game-like” in its setup.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
