CSRA football teams prepare for new season at Football Jamboree
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It is one week until high school football teams across the CSRA will be kicking off the new season.
On Friday night, many of them have scrimmages lined up to help them get ready for week one.
For many of our local teams, including four team who were in attendance at the Strom Thurmond Football’s Jamboree, scrimmages are their final dress rehearsal before opening night.
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The Strom Thurmond Rebels are coming off an impressive season, during which they tallied up 10 wins, won their region, and made it three rounds deep into the playoffs before falling Saluda in the state quarterfinals.
This year, the Rebels are back with some serious talent on the offense between quarterback Quan Edmond returning behind center, running back Michael Blocker’s powerful downhill running ability, and the new addition of wide out Braylon Staley.
“We hope that they get comfortable communicating out on the field by themselves, where we’re strictly on the sideline, a little bit different that practice. We want to get comfortable playing fast, and confident communicating with each other,” said Andrew Webb, Strom Thurmond head coach.
Staley is ranked as the number one wide receiver in the entire state of South Carolina, and recently committed to play college ball for the Tennessee Volunteers.
“I’m very excited man, I’m ready to start my new journey with a new team, Strom Thurmond High School. So, I just can’t wait to see what God has instore for us,” said Staley.
The Rebels might be able to do some serious damage this year, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
“All these guys have been working since last November to get back, to make another deep run in the playoffs, and we’ve set our goal pretty high, but when you have guys that’s been around, we have a bunch of three-year starters. Quan Edmonds, Michael Blocker, HD Yonce, the list goes on and on. When you add the fire power of some of those guys that we have, that can go get it, it certainly is nice,” said Webb.
The Strom Thurmond football Jamboree kicked off at 7:30 p.m. and the scrimmage was broken up into two halves.
Saluda went head-to-head with Batesburg-Leesville in the first two quarters, while Strom Thurmond and Brookland-Cayce went in the second half.
Stewart Young, Saluda High School head coach, said: “You get to ride the bus over, you get to have your game jerseys on, there’s fans in the stands, there’s music playing. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. So, you can kind of be a little stress-free tonight. I told my wife, I’m half stressed tonight, half stressed, I’ll be full stressed next week.”
WATCH LIVE INTERVIEW WITH STROM THURMOND’S HEAD COACH:
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