Athens Review, Athens, Texas

Breaking News

Sports

Related Photos

  • Robby Robertson/Athens Review

    images_sizedimage_239230247

Discussion

August 27, 2009

For ACP, opening kickoff is taken literally

School to play six-man football; season begins tonight

By Jayson Larson Editor

Six-man football has arrived in Athens.

Beginning tonight, Athens Christian Preparatory will field a varsity football team — marking its inaugural season of high school football. The Storm, as the team will be called, will compete in Division II of the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship.

“Everybody seems like they’re real excited,” Storm Head Coach Terry Parker said. “I think it’s going to work. It’s just going to take time.”

The Storm will play its inaugural game against Tyler’s King’s Academy — where Parker once coached — at 7 p.m. at the Cain Park II fields in Athens. The Storm will play three home games on a makeshift field at Cain Park until the team can arrange for other facilities.

There will be no charge for admission. However, the team will ask for donations to pay for its expenses.

Players who are members of the preparatory school, or who are home-schooled, are eligible to play on the team.

Parker said his goal is to set up a program that will be fun for the players and teach them the game of football — or in this case, six-man football, which has a shorter football field (80 yards vs. 100 yards) and a few different scoring rules (extra points, for example, are worth two points instead of one).

Parker said when he was hired by the school, it was his dream to start a six-man program. That dream started with players beginning a weightlifting program that continued throughout last year.

Many players, Parker said, have some experience playing football. Some have played middle school football in the public school system. Others, though, have very limited experience and will be learning the game on the fly.

The inaugural roster consists of: Jessie Carr; Aronn Atchley; Will Ogburn; Will Pearce; Josey Robertson; Mason Skinner; Ross Stewart; Nathan Thornton; Isaac Smith; Seth Castillo; and Cody Goforth.

Parker is assisted by Allen Stallings (defense) and Mark Moore (backs, quarterbacks).

Text Only
Sports