Area football teams gaining confidence at Falcons 7-on-7 camp

OAKWOOD - If the West Hall High football team defeated a Class AAAAA program this season, Spartans fans would have to be impressed.

Well, it happened this Friday at West Hall.

Unfortunately for the Spartans it won’t count on the 2008 schedule, as their 31-28 win over Northview came during the Atlanta Falcons 7-on-7 High School Player Development camp held at West Hall High.

Yet even though 7-on-7 passing camps represent a shell of what happens on Friday nights in the fall, Spartans coach Mike Newton was more than pleased with the results.

“It’s just making us compete, that’s what this is all about,” said Newton, who is beginning his second year with the program after going 2-8 in 2007. “West Hall has never done anything like this before, and we want people to see we’re serious.”

For any high school team serious about football, the season is rooted in camps like this one, where quarterbacks, receivers and running backs take on a mix of defensive backs and linebackers simply trying to improve their understanding of their school’s systems and improve their understanding with each other.

“We’re able to work on our passing attack and get our communication problems worked out and out of the way before the season starts,” Flowery Branch High coach Lee Shaw said. “Ultimately, there’s no difference between this and summer league baseball and basketball. And it’s priceless practice time.”

So priceless that the three-day camp, which the Falcons held for the first time in Hall County this summer (usually it is held in Carrollton) attracted 24 teams from throughout the state, including area programs West Hall, Flowery Branch, East Hall, Jefferson, North Gwinnett and Mill Creek.

“There’s some really good teams here,” said Shaw. “And the great thing is that you get to play against teams from all classes. You name it, we’re playing them - and we’re holding our own against them.”

Through two days, the Falcons have built a 9-2 record, putting them in contention for the camp’s championship, which will be played on Saturday at West Hall High.

Flowery Branch’s only two losses came against Class AAAAA powers North Gwinnett and Norcross.

“We’re clicking along,” Shaw said.

That includes new Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw, who is taking over from his brother Jaybo under center after the elder Shaw graduated and signed to play football with Georgia Tech.

“I feel like Connor’s had a really good camp,” Shaw said of his younger son. “He’s on track to do well.”

Though Connor, a rising junior, did not play much quarterback for the Falcons during his first two years in high school, he did feature as a receiver - although his responsibilities will be much heavier this season as he prepares to lead the team.

“He’s got a strong arm, and he’s accurate,” Lee Shaw said. “But we’ve got to get him used to making calls. Jaybo was checking into plays maybe 90 percent of the time last season.”

Connor will have plenty of chances to develop cohesion with his receivers and backs as the summer continues. The Falcons are scheduled to take part in three more 7-on-7 camps, including competitions held by the Georgia Force Arena League team, the University of Georgia and Lassiter High School.

“These camps are great because you get to see how kids react to certain situations, being behind or maybe going into overtime,” Lee Shaw said. “You get to see who steps up.”

According to West Hall’s Newton, he’s already seen plenty of Spartans begin to step up this week.

“We’ve gotten better each game, and I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen,” said Newton, noting the play of receiver/defensive back Rodney Gibson, who caught eight touchdowns and pulled down four interceptions during Friday’s games.

Newton, whose squad improved from 0-4 on Thursday to 6-1 in games played Friday, also praised quarterback Shunquez Stephens, cornerback Terrell Penland, tight end Kyle Weatherly and free safety Caleb Stewart.

West Hall’s coaches say this time is particularly valuable to their offense, which is learning a new spread option attack that coaches installed during spring drills.

“It’s the same system that Flowery Branch and Gainesville are running,” Newton said. “We’re getting better at it, but it takes a lot of getting used to. And you’ve got to pay attention.”

The Spartans will continue to hone their new offense in other camps this summer, including a competition at McEachern High School in July. But so far, coaches like what they see.

“When you win and then you keep winning, you start to gain confidence,” Newton said. “And gaining confidence is what these camps are all about.”

Some athletes will also use this camp as a springboard for an even bigger 7-on-7 camp. At the conclusion of Friday's games, the Atlanta Falcons picked 12 outstanding players from different teams. These players will go on to represent the Falcons and the state of Georgia at a national 7-on-7 tournament, to be coached by the coach of the winning team on Saturday.

The 2008 Falcons All-Stars:

- Zach Landis, Mill Creek
- Donatello Brown, North Cobb
- Rod Reid, Elberton
- Zach Crosby, Jefferson
- Rashad Smith, Dublin
- Randy Clark, Brantley County
- Ed Russ, Mill Creek
- Hakeem Smith, Riverdale
- Tyler Jarry, North Gwinnett
- Matt Autry, Norcross
- Lavell Smith, Monroe Area
- Prince Kent, Norcross