After three straight seasons of falling short of the state playoffs, it appeared there was something missing from the Flowery Branch football program in 2016.
Ben Bales entered the 2017 season knowing he would get a chance to sling the ball around a few times each game -- but nothing like what he experienced on Friday night.
Some teams opened their seasons with a bang, while still more learned more about themselves in "Week 1" of the high school football season on Friday night.