AS THE rattle and hum of heavy construction equipment continues several yards away from the Jackson County football team’s practice facility, the squad is under construction in a manner of speaking as well.
Players are getting used to new coach Benji Harrison and vice versa as the new-look Jackson County program strives during voluntary workouts to get ready for its Aug. 31 opener with Winder-Barrow.
“He’s been pretty tough, but yet he’s a good coach,” senior running back Dustin Scott said during a Tuesday voluntary practice. “He likes to kid around every now and then, but he’s more about getting things done.”
Harrison, who’s been on the job since January, said his new players have been very receptive in this summer of transition — one that also sees the program looking to rebound from a 3-7 campaign in 2011.
“We’ve had a really productive summer, and we’ve had great participation numbers each day,” said Harrison, who previously served as Flowery Branch’s offensive coordinator.
The busy summer has included conditioning, workouts, drills and many hours on the 7-on-7 scrimmage circuit (pad-less, non-tackle practice games).
The team competed at Jefferson’s 7-on-7 tournament in June and then journeyed to the University of Alabama for Nick Saban’s 7-on-7 camp. There, it faced a gauntlet of tough competition.
The Panthers also got to play a game in vaunted Bryant-Deny Stadium, the 100,000-seat home of the defending national champion Crimson Tide.
“The kids really enjoyed it,” Harrison said. “They watch those guys (Alabama) on television. It was good for the unity of our team.”
Playing on one of the sacred turfs of the SEC was a moment that left Scott somewhat speechless.
“Even though there wasn’t a crowd there, it was just … I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t find a word to describe it.”
A successful 4-3 stint at Athens Christian’s 7-on-7 tournament followed the Alabama excursion. The Panthers — who have a seven-on-seven tournament this weekend at Lassister — will have played in around 30 7-on-7 scrimmages for this summer by the end of the weekend.
“It helps us find out what we’re good at and how we compete against other teams,” Harrison said of his philosophy on 7-on-7s.
Scott said the team is doing “tons more” 7-on-7s this year, and he enjoys the competition.
“It’s total competition — full on,” he said. “They say it’s not contact, but there’s contact there.”
Harrison has praised the leadership of players like Scott, Evan Breakspear, Chris Foster and Josh Ingram this summer, saying all lead by example first and then vocally.
“They don’t yell just for the sake of yelling,” Harrison said.
Scott explains his leadership role, which is somewhat mentor-like for the younger Panther players — some of which might not yet grasp what is going on in practice.
“Sometimes, I pull them off to the side and tell them ‘just relax … just calm down and watch the guy in front of you,’” Scott said.
While the Panthers are plenty busy now, they’re about to get busier.
Preseason practice is a mere week away. It will start July 25 with the first day of the new five-day, helmet-only acclimation period mandated by the GHSA. The first game follows five weeks later. Harrison said the clock is ticking.
“I tell the kids, ‘you’re going to blink and it’s going to be game one,'" he said.
Though time may be flying, Harrison said the team continues to build.
“We say it a lot, ‘believe in the process,’” Harrison said. “And the kids are working hard.”
Scott believes with the process, there will come a payoff.
“We’ve been doing a lot of lifting, a lot of speed and agility,” he said. “And then coming out here and running routes and just staying fresh, it’s going to help us transfer over to the regular season, I think.”
