The local FCA teaches players "being a man" takes more than being a good football player

Above: Andrew Bryan, Westminster AD, Coach; Below: Kydran Jenkins (Jefferson County)

"When you leave tonight... I'm delivering t-shirts and Bibles to you're buses," Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes area director Greg Wilson explained to the players representing 10 area high schools at Tuesday's 7 on 7 Passing League at Greenbrier High. "You'll have some of those waiting on you when you get finished."

That is how Tuesday's installment of the weekly passing league began at the 50 yard line of the home of the Wolfpack. Next it was time for an 8 minute message delivered by Andrew Bryan, the athletic director and head football coach for Westminster, who for decades now has coached high school sports, served as a youth pastor and once upon a time even lit up the scoreboard on the basketball court as a Curtis Baptist Crusader.



Bryan's message was powerful because he explained "what it means to be a man" from the perspective of the Christian faith, the spirit of which was present throughout the evening as FCA board members and volunteers along with local coaches facilitated, and players engaged in, spirited competition. On display were positive attitudes, encouraging language, infectious enthusiasm and exemplary sportsmanship.

In case you can't hear him in the video above, Bryan counseled the young men that the verse in the graphic teaches us that "fighting" means something different than what they might expect. It means fighting for the right things, and against the wrong.

"You should fight against complacency, laziness and temptation, "Bryan explained. "You should fight for relationships... and you should fight for something greater than yourself."

By using an example from Monday's NBA Finals game to show a strong and healthy relationship between teammates, and by explaining a quarterback's dependency on his less celebrated linemen, Bryan's message surely hit home. That much was clear when the more than 100 kneeling players ended his post discussion prayer with a booming "Amen!"

Thomson was on of ten teams competing Tuesday at Greenbrier.

From there it was no surprise that the evening proceeded with each team giving three 30 minute scrimmages worth of maximum effort that everybody present should have been proud to witness. No scores were kept, but that information would have been irrelevant had it been displayed.

In addition to the good fellowship, last night's action brought into focus the impressive throwing arms of some of the area's varsity quarterbacks. One of them, Greenbrier senior Jackson Fulmer, was a familiar face from last season's class 6A region race. Two of next season's class 2A signal callers - George Brown of Jefferson County, and Quamere Gooch of Westside - were new to me. Here are clips of the throws and catches that made an impression:

George Brown - Jefferson County

Jackson Fulmer - Greenbrier

Quamere Gooch - Westside