Spalding opens full-pads camp with focus on mental and physical toughness | Friday Night Lights

GRIFFIN — The road to the 2026 high school football season officially took another step forward last week as the Spalding High School Jaguars welcomed Burke County High School and Mundy’s Mill High School for a competitive full-pads summer camp at Spalding High School.

The multi-team camp gave players and coaches an opportunity to simulate game-like conditions through individual drills, team periods and live scrimmages. More importantly, it allowed coaching staffs to evaluate talent while helping athletes gain valuable experience against unfamiliar competition before the regular season begins.

Throughout the camp, players battled in offensive and defensive drills designed to test their technique, physicality and football IQ. Coaches from all three schools remained actively involved, offering instruction, corrections and encouragement after nearly every rep.

For Spalding head coach Nick Davis, the camp’s value extended far beyond the final score of any scrimmage.

“The benefit for us is getting high-quality reps and understanding it’s not really so much about competition; it’s about evaluating your players,” Davis said.

The Jaguars used the camp as an opportunity to identify strengths, address weaknesses and continue building the foundation necessary for a successful season.

Davis emphasized that the biggest lessons of summer football aren’t always measured by touchdowns or tackles.

“The things we talked about was mental, physical and emotional toughness, and that’s something you got to learn,” Davis said. “You got to learn to put them in adverse situations. Everybody wants to be comfortable, so we got to put them in uncomfortable situations, see how they respond, and coach them up on how to respond. After you make a bad or good play, live for the next play and next game.”

Players were equally excited to be back in full pads after months of offseason training.

Senior cornerback Tavares Stinson said the return to live contact is an important milestone in the team’s preparation.

“It feels great to be in pads, getting it popping early because we got a long few weeks ahead of us,” Stinson said. “Just being able to get a head start, competing against great players, just getting us ready for what’s next to come.”

Senior running back and safety Camauri Berry believes the summer months play a critical role in determining how successful a team can be once the season arrives.

“As a player, summertime is basically the offseason for us, so that is a great time to focus up on little things or fix up bad things from last year during the season,” Berry said. “For the team as a whole, it’s a way to just build chemistry and show where your team stands as the season comes up.”

The Jaguars are looking to build on the progress they’ve made throughout the offseason, and the confidence inside the locker room continues to grow.

Junior quarterback Devin Bass didn’t hesitate when asked what Spalding fans should expect this fall.

“A whole bunch of wins,” Bass said with a smile.

With summer camp underway and valuable full-contact repetitions now under their belts, the Jaguars will continue preparing for the 2026 campaign. As practices continue over the coming weeks, Davis and his coaching staff hope the lessons learned through adversity, competition and teamwork will position Spalding High to make noise when the season kicks off.