Jackets participate in line camp

Jeff Davis High School was one of 17 schools represented at the Battle at the Beach OL/DL Camp held over the weekend at Jekyll Island Camp.
Jeff Davis Head Coach Lance Helton said this week that 240 linemen from schools all over Georgia participated in the camp which began last Friday and ended Monday with a 6 a.m. practice.
The initial Battle at the Beach was held last year. The annual event was the brainchild of Helton and Rhett Parson of Rockmart High School.
The campers participated in 3-a-day, 2-hour practices at 8:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Jeff Davis High had 12 linemen to participate.
The Yellow Jackets wind up their summer schedule this week, ending with a pool party and a players vs. coaches softball tournament this Thursday starting at 6 p.m. at the high school softball field.
The Jackets’ preseason practice schedule will be four days a week, culminating with an Aug. 2 scrimmage against Clinch County. The 2024 season opens with a road game against Helton’s alma mater, Washington County, in Sandersville.
“The camp was great,” Helton said of the Battle at the Beach, “Our guys battled their tails off against some really good people — from teams like Valdosta, Richmond Hill and Coffee. They placed third in the camp. I was really proud of them.”
“There were teams from all over the state, some of them driving six hours to get there,” he continued. “It’s the toughest line camp in the state and I’m proud of the way our kids handled themselves.”
In an X post, Helton said 90% of the linemen came from schools that were post-season participants last year.
While 3-a-days continued Sunday, the day was not all work as the campers took time for a typical Sunday session as they listened to a presentation by Philip Worthington of Hazlehurst First Baptist Church.