Several hundred high school football players took part in last Thursday’s second annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes 7-on-7 and linemen’s challenge on the Williams High School campus.
One group – those guys in blue and orange – might have needed a certain introduction. They represented Southeast Alamance.
“It was kind of like, ‘We’re here,’ “ coach Tony Aguilar said. “It’s kind of exciting to put our brand out there.”
The Stallions of Southeast Alamance were happy to be in their public debut.
“Some people were talking down on us because we’re a new school,” said rising junior Ryan Dodson, though otherwise pointing out the excitement of being part of something new.
Either way, the Stallions have arrived.
The school opens in August. That’s when athletic competitions commence as well.
“Now that we’re over here, I didn’t really think much of it,” Dodson said of making an initial outing representing the new school.
Seeing Southeast Ala-mance apparel in a multi-team setting marked another step. The football outing wasn’t the first function where Southeast was represented – because a Colt League baseball entry from the school took part in competition earlier last week at Western Alamance.
These might be small milestones for the Stallions. Athletics director B.J. Condron said it all seems more real, with the hiring of athletics department staff helping as well.
“People were really nervous,” Condron said. “Now that we have coaches, people are getting more comfortable.”
As far as football, Aguilar has a staff of 10, including six paid assistants. He was a longtime assistant coach at Eastern Alamance before taking the head coaching job at Eastern Guilford, so he has tapped into his connections.
The receivers coach will be Mark Talley from the Eastern Alamance staff, while Luke Feudale also joins from Eastern Alamance. Former Eastern Alamance lineman Jonah Melton steps into a coaching role as an assistant directing offensive linemen. Bryce McCulley has come from Southern Alamance to coach tight ends and oversee special teams.
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About 50 football players have been taking part in workouts with the Stallions. Those sessions are held at the field at Hawfields Middle School and Audrey Garrett Elementary School. The Stallions expect to move operations to the high school, where construction is wrapping up, near the end of July.
Dodson said he’s joined by about five players who were teammates at Southern Alamance. There are only two rising seniors signed up for the football Stallions; students in the Class of 2024 residing in the Southeast attendance zone are permitted to finish at their previous schools, Eastern Alamance or Southern Alamance, if they choose.
Aguilar said his message to players has been that it’s going to take time. That was clear during the big session at Williams.
“We’ve been doing this 14 days,” he said. “Everybody else has been doing it for three years.”
Nine teams – coming from Alamance, Chatham and Guilford counties – attended the FCA-organized practice and competition. Graham and Southern Alamance weren’t on hand from Alamance County.
Every chance to participate should be valuable for Southeast.
“We’re all kind of learning, and learning about each other,” Aguilar said. “It’s a process. We knew that coming in.”
The 7-on-7 encounters are pass-oriented competitions.
Meanwhile, linemen took part in other drills. To cap those, spirited tug-of-war battles were conducted in tournament style.
A winner was determined as Eastern Alamance’s big guys defeated Williams in the final.
