High school football has been described as the All-American sport.
From the heartland of America to all four corners of our great nation, the gridiron sport at this level is indeed something to behold. There is simply something special about Friday night at the local stadium.
In Homer — and at Banks County High School — football is a family tradition for the Bowens. Senior Justin Bowen is a standout player for the Leopards. During the past four years, Justin has grown into one of the top members of the BCHS team.
Playing on the line, you may not see his name in print as often as some of his teammates. It’s the nature of the game unfortunately. Make no mistake, however, Justin is as vital a part of the Leopards as anyone on the 2008 roster.
In addition to his play in the trenches, Justin has proven to be a standout on special teams and he recovered a fumble in last Friday’s Region 8-AA game against North Oconee which led to a Leopard touchdown.
It has been amazing to see how much Justin has improved each season since he became a part of the football program four years ago. It’s hard to believe that much time has elapsed. It has been fun watching him become such a standout player.
Tony Bowen, Justin’s dad, is also a key part of the Leopard football program as an assistant coach. Coach Bowen, like his son, has also grown in his role in recent seasons. He is now a key defensive assistant helping coordinator Paul Hoch each Friday night.
Coach Bowen was on the previous staff when current head coach Blair Armstrong came in prior to the 2007 season. Coach Bowen told Armstrong he was going to continue teaching at BCHS and would love to be a part of the football program in any way. Armstrong saw Bowen’s obvious dedication and love for the program and kept him on board.
Mom Angie is also heavily involved with the football program. She helps lead the Mother’s Huddle group, which supports the entire program. She helps operate the Banks County High School athletic website.
During road games, Angie helps coordinate postgame snacks for the players to have before their trip back to the school. To put it simply, Angie does many of the jobs that people think magically get done. An athletic program doesn’t succeed without people like her.
Tony and Angie’s daughter JC, while only 7, is perhaps the team’s youngest booster and no doubt will become even more involved as she gets older. She already has the necessary energy for it to be sure. I’m not sure she ever stops running for more than a minute or so.
If you are looking for a family to put on a poster to represent the Leopard football program and BCHS as a whole, you would need to look no further than the Bowens. The character each member of this family displays by their actions speaks volumes. They are a true asset to the Banks County community.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of The Banks County News. E-mail comments about this column to chris@mainstreetnews.com.
