The Mill Creek Athletic Association is preparing for the start of the 2008 football season.
On August 9, the association will hold a grand opening for the new MCAA football field at Duncan Creek Park. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“There will be scrimmage football games all day starting at 8 a.m.,” said Dist. 4 Commissioner Kevin Kenerly, who is also a volunteer youth football coach.
Hot dogs and hamburgers will be available from The Varsity over the lunch hour and the Fire and Emergency Services’ Honor Guard will raise the flag at 1 p.m. during the opening ceremonies. Other activities will include bungee jumping, a bungee run, an Extreme Slide and a climbing wall.
Dist. 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau said, “The County has been partners with the Mill Creek Athletic Association to develop these great new park facilities and once again, most of the funding has come from the SPLOST program.”
The County bought the land for the 109-acre park in 1998. The park was designed by Lose Associates, Inc., of Lawrenceville and built by the Astra Group, Inc. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Phase One was held in June. Future plans for the park include a roller hockey rink plus additional picnic and tennis facilities.
On August 16, the Mill Creek Athletic Association will participate in the Gwinnett Football League jamboree. Teams from athletic associations across the county will compete in the day-long event. This year, sixteen associations will send teams to the event.
A week later, on August 23, the Hawks will play their first game of the season.
One of the largest athletic associations in the county, the football program currently has over 630 players registered for fall 2008.
This year, the association will field a total of 28 teams for players ranging in age from six years old to the eighth grade level team.
Practices for the 2008 season begin July 28. The players will go to full pads on July 31.
Though the MCAA has a new home field this year at Duncan Creek Park, practices will be held at Bogan Park and Osborne Middle School to protect the field from excessive wear. The association will be hosting eighth grade games each Tuesday night of the season at the new field.
All MCAA games will be held either at Duncan Creek Park or Mill Creek High School. There are currently three dates scheduled for Mill Creek.
