Lake Oconee Academy football wrapped up its summer schedule last week by competing in a padded camp.
The Titans made the short drive to Eatonton on Tuesday and Thursday to participate in a camp at Putnam County High School alongside 10 other teams. They competed against some tough competition and bigger schools.
Lake Oconee Academy fourth-year head coach Patrick Stewart and his staff challenged their players to step up and lead, as well as see how they would respond to facing adversity.
“We did both days, Tuesday and Thursday, there. And it was a great, great work for us,” Stewart said. “We were trying to find those alpha leaders, and you tend to see who is a real player when times get tough, when you’re playing against really good opponents. So, that helped us kind of see who our guys are going to be and who’s going to step up when it gets hard and we face adversity.”
During the two-day camp, the Titans faced schools from much larger classifications, ranging from Class A Division I to Class 3A. They competed against Howard, Stratford Academy, Riverdale, and Dodge County.
LOA has only a handful of seniors on this year’s squad, so most of the roster is young. Last week’s padded camp in Eatonton was a valuable opportunity for the younger players to gain confidence and experience for the season.
“That’s really what those are for,” Stewart said of the camp. “And if you take advantage of them during the summer and play against good opponents, it helps you identify and fix mistakes early, get film in the summer, and learn from it. So, they’re definitely beneficial.”
The Titans started last season with five consecutive wins but then lost their final five games, including four region matchups, and they missed the state playoffs. They graduated many key contributors and leaders from last season, including Ike O’Neal, Cameron Kelley, Reid Davis, Mason Salemi, and Hayes Fleming, among others.
Stewart and his staff emphasized at the camp that they need some of the younger players to step up. He’s hoping players like Jake McDonald, Griffin Stanford, Keenan Parham, CJ Stembridge, Kam Geter, and others will fill those leadership roles.
“We’re a young team, so we’re trying to find guys to lead,” Stewart said. “We’ve been used to having guys like Reid Davis, Ike O’Neal, and those guys. They play football. It’s their life, and they love the game. So, they were committed. These younger guys need to become dedicated to excelling at it, not just participating or just being out there. So, that’s what we’ve been preaching this summer, and we’ve been growing from that.”
LOA will scrimmage Social Circle on Thursday, Aug. 7, before its season opener at Mount Paran Christian on Friday, Aug. 16.