Nearly 40 local youth participated in the 9th annual Bert Williams Jr. Bulldog Football Camp on the GMC campus this past week. Toughing it out from 9:00AM-4:00PM in the tough June heat, these young men ages 7-13 worked on skills and fundamentals of football, developed sportsmanship, and competed in numerous events. "We have been holding this camp for 9 years now, and it is always fun to work with the young kids in our region who are interested in becoming better football players and having a fun, competitive week of work. I think this group actually made more progress over the week than any other year. It was exciting to be a part of that development," commented GMC Head Football Coach Bert Williams.
Highlighting this year's camp was the return to GMC of two of its former players & NFL alumni, now on staff for the GMC Bulldogs – DL Coach Jermaine Smith and CB Coach Daniel Wilcox-Strickland. "The kids were especially excited to get instructed from two coaches who had over 23 years of professional experience between them. "
All campers received a super cool camp t-shirt, a certificate of completion, and awards were presented in three age groups for the Punt, Pass, and Kick competition as well as the annual Iron Pup Challenge. The Iron Pup Challenge is an obstacle course that emphasizes many of the skills needed to play football as well requiring physical and mental toughness to complete the challenge. Winners in the competitions are shown below:
PUNT, PASS, and KICK Competition
YOUTH DIVISION (Ages 7-9)
Top Punter – Asa Franklin
Top Passer – Hagan Tyler
Top Kicker – Owen Robinson
Overall Champion (Combined Yardage) – Hagan Tyler
JUNIOR DIVISION (Ages 10-12)
Top Punter – Tristan Strickland
Top Passer – Bryce Hargrove
Top Kicker – Garrison Holland
Overall Champion (Combined Yardage) – Bryce Hargrove
SENIOR DIVISION (Ages 13-14)
Top Punter – Jordan Bradley
Top Passer – Tyrus Coats
Top Kicker – Tyrus Coats
Overall Champion (Combined Yardage) – Jackson Miller
IRON PUP CHALLENGE
YOUTH DIVISION CHAMPION – Hagan Tyler
YOUTH DIVISION Runner-Up – Owen Robinson
JUNIOR DIVISION CHAMPION – Garrison Holland
JUNIOR DIVISION Runner-Up – Baylen Zielinski
SENIOR DIVISION CHAMPION – Jackson Miller
SENIOR DIVISION Runner-Up – Jacob Bailey