FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — White County and Flowery Branch didn't let the weather spoil the culmination of spring football practice on Thursday at Falcon Field.
"Just to be out here today is awesome," White County coach Chad Bennett said. "Nothing beats under the lights, even if it's a Thursday night. We wanted to play a good football team, and Branch is a really good team. We're finding out where we need to work this summer. I thought our effort was good."
"This is like November playoff-type weather, so we're loving it," Flowery Branch coach Jason Tester said. "We're just excited to be out here today, getting reps."
Even though the scoreboard stayed on zero, Flowery Branch showed marked improvement, especially in the passing game.
Senior Josh Oliver is set for a full season at quarterback for the Falcons and showed off his arm Thursday. Tester said he liked what he saw from his signal caller and his team's work during the spring.
"Yeah, we were gonna be balanced," Tester said. "Oliver came in at the end of the year and ripped it the last two games. So you know, he's capable of doing that. We got some guys that can catch it, too. We got some guys that can run it. So, it will be a balance between run and pass to keep the defense on their toes.
"They're working. They're grinding. That's a big, big focus for us. It's physical and mental toughness. And they showed that today. There are things that I'm obviously taking note of -- things we got to work on, but I like where we're at."
As for Bennett, he left the scrimmage with a positive outlook for the upcoming season.
"Our guys have worked really hard this spring," Bennett said. "We're just going to have to clean up some stuff. I wanted to play a really good football team and find out where we were. We're growing as a team and still building a program, but I'm super excited about what we're doing. I think the future is bright."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/5/1184507/football