Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Spring Football Held At Gurdon High

An historic first took place in Gurdon recently, actually across the state of Arkansas  spring football practice in high schools.

Until this year the Arkansas Activities Association has banned spring football training as it could interfere with other spring sports.

However, according to Go-Devil Coach John Pace, Arkansas Razorback Coach Huston Nutt helped convince the AAA of the overall value of spring training.

In years past, high school teams could run drills wearing helmets, but this year those drills included full pads and contact for the first time.

Pace said it can only help the Devils as the players will have a better idea of what to expect when they report to practice in August.

"It was beneficial," Pace said, "but the only drawback is it's so late in the year. The AAA wants all other sports to be over with before we can practice football."

Still, he said, the extra week of practice can only help the team, because the players were able to work on things they wouldn't have seen until August otherwise.

"We got an early lead on what we'll be able to do," he told the Gurdon Rotary Club Thursday, May 25.

"This can only help football in the state of Arkansas."

Those states surrounding Arkansas, he said, have had spring training for years. In Texas, though, this is limited to the upper two levels of high schools.

In the future, he said, the practice could be extended another four of five days, which would really help the team.

There was one injury in the spring drills. A freshman player working with the senior team got his arm broken when hit while attempting to make a tackle.

Otherwise, Pace said, the players are just sore from the work and contact.

Freshmen players, he said, are allowed in the spring practice as they will be in senior high next year.

A total of 33 players participated in the spring drills.

Pace also gave an update on Gurdon High School's first track ever. At this time, he said, the pits for long jumping, high jumping and pole vaulting are being built.

Additional dirt work has been done to the track before the new surface is installed, he said.

"This will be good for the community," Pace told the club members, "because people can walk on it in the evenings."

He reminded the Rotarians the track does belong to the public and no wheeled vehicles are allowed on it, as they would destroy the surface.

Next spring, however, GHS will be able to do something it's never before done  host a track meet within the confines of Gurdon.

Pace said this, too, will be good for the community as track meets bring people to town. But, he added, they take a lot of work and will require a lot of volunteer effort to put on properly.