Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Football Team Hobbled

BY JOHN MILLER

Early season injuries have kept Gurdon's Go-Devils from participating in scrimmages and jamborees this pre-season.

Coach John Pace, talking to the Gurdon Rotary Club Thursday, Aug. 26, said the team's numbers are down because of players being hurt.

However, he said, the junior high team scrimmaged and beat Ashdown, a AAA school. This, he told the club, bodes well for the future of Go-Devil football.

With the injuries Pace and the coaching staff have had to put younger players in key positions early on. They've also had to slow the practice sessions to help them out.

Once everyone gets on the same page, he said, the Devils could be pretty good.

All are proud of the new facility, Pace said. The new scoreboards and clocks are up, with the bleachers being color coded in purple and gold.

The press box is almost complete, he said. All lacking there is some wiring and painting on the interior.

The track has been laid out with the basework done. It will be a while, he said, before the track is surfaced.

Mowing on the new field has been done at night, with the new lights being used. Pace said the new lighting system is excellent.

"I'm pleased with the way it turned out," he said. "Our field house is one of the nicest ones around."

A grant from the Cabe Foundation helped finish out the field house, he added.

When everything is done, an open house will be held to show off the new field house, concession stand and stadium. This will give fans their first real chance to see Gurdon's top-notch athletic facilities.

The Devils, Pace said, will open on the road with a trip to Fouke. The team will initiate the new stadium the second game of the season, Sept. 10, when they host Lake Village. Inaugural ceremonies are in the works for this game.

Week three has the Devils at home again, this time tangling with arch-rival Prescott for the Fourth Annual Gurdon Times-Nevada County Picayune Traveling Trophy.

Pace said playing three AAA schools at the start of the season could be a good thing for the Devils, who will then be working for a third straight conference title.

There's an interesting side note to the Lake Village game, he said. Last year Gurdon made the trip across the southern part of Arkansas to play the Beavers there. It was the first game in their new stadium.

The Beavers were soundly whipped in a downpour by the Devils and will be looking to break Gurdon's new stadium in with a loss to return the favor bestowed by the visitors last season.

Right now, Pace said, the new field is in dire need of rain, so the turf can take hold. "We can't water the field enough now. We need a good soaking rain to get it perked up."

Lockers for the field house have arrived and been installed, as part of the hectic summer for the Gurdon coaching staff.

In spite of the distractions, he said, the team is ready to play. "These kids will play hard. We're not putting a lot of stock in early season predictions.

"After winning the conference title there's a target on our back and everyone will be out to get us. With the young players, it will be tough, but we have the talent."

The problem, Pace said, is dealing with the injuries. This could pose a problem throughout the season for the Devils. It is vital the squad stay healthy if the team is to try for a three-peat of winning the district crown.

Preseason predictions, Pace told the club, mean nothing. Those making the predictions, he said, don't know what's going on at the schools and make their picks based on what happened last year.

Still, he said, the Devils will win some games and let their opposition know they were in a game each and every week.<<<<