A DREAM IS A WISH...

YOUR HEART MAKES....

I remember almost ten years ago running down the sidelines of Curtis Lynch Memorial Field wearing a red and white #12 jersey with FETNER monogrammed across the back and jeans. A ponytail with no ribbon, a football under one arm and a tray full of water bottles completed my outfit! Yes, I was the Pee-Wee Bulldogs "water girl"! No amount of sweat and dirt bothered me. I even remember after one rainy game sliding in the puddles around the school so much that we had to ride home on the back of the truck!

Even then my favorite player was the quarterback who sported the #12! I remember watching him throw perfect spirals then and thinking that he was awesome. I even remember thinking he was so strong and big....looking back at pictures I realize that maybe Mom should have had my eyes checked because Trey was a little shrimp! (Sorry Trey but you know it's true)

I got a little more conscious of "my looks" after a couple years and for at least 6 more years I was on the sidelines cheering for that same QB only now in a short skirt, ponytail with the perfect ribbon and a make-up bag with powder (for those sweaty moments)!  Trey had also "grown" a little too!!

Then for the last 3 years of my life...I have been that LOUD girl in the stands or sometimes that crazy girl climbing the fence cheering for that same quarterback. Sometimes I wore "cute" outfits with coordinating team colors but my favorite outfit was my "QUARTERBACK'S SISTER" t-shirt!  However that QB was MUCH BIGGER and he was sporting #16 and wearing orange and blue. 

Over the years our outfits, size, and colors may have changed.....but that QB's wish in his heart of the dream to play college ball never did....and TOMORROW I GET TO SEE HIS DREAM COME TRUE! 

Tomorrow I will be traveling to The University of South Alabama in Mobile, wearing red and blue, to cheer on my FAVORITE quarterback of all time who will be sporting #16! 

Trey, thank you so much for the memories! SO many of my favorite memories in my life include you on a football field. I can't believe that tomorrow I will watch your dream, running onto a college field, come true!! As always I will be the LOUDEST, MOST PUMPED girl in the stands and I am and will be praying for you............I love you!

Dear Lord,

 Thank you for your love, mercy and goodness. Thank you for blessing Trey with talent and strength to play a game that he loves. Thank you for remaining faithful and placing Trey at USA. Please continue to  show Him Your Will for his life. Humble his heart and God and open his heart and mind daily to all his many blessings. Fill Him with your presence. Please keep him safe and help him to always give You all the honor, glory and praise. Please be with him and his teammates and coaches this season. May all that He does bring glory to you......

I love you beyond words and am so very grateful to you..........

ARE YOU READY.....

FOR SOME FOOTBALL?????

THE BAGGETT'S ARE!!!! 

OR AT LEAST I FINISHED 

ALL MY "GAME-DAY" PROJECTS

WHICH MAKES ME FEEL LIKE WE ARE

COMPLETELY READY FOR THIS 

FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

OUR LIGHT POST BOW AND YARD SIGN ARE OUT!!

I ALSO GOT ALL THE GIRLS IN THE FAMILY

A "GAME-DAY" PRESENT THAT THEY

CAN USE ALL SEASON!

AND OUR BACK DOOR ENTRANCE IS MY FAVORITE!!!!

WAR EAGLE BABY!!!!

GO JAGS GO!!!

WE LOVE YOU TREY FETNER

#16

HE IS...

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's our high priest
In Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Israel's Guide
Joshua, He's salvation's choice
Judges, He's Israel's Guard
In Ruth, the kinsmen's redeemer
1st and 2nd Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles He is Sovereign
In Ezra, He's the true and faithful scribe
In Nehemiah, the re-builder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms He is our morning song
In Proverbs, He is our wisdom
Ecclesiastes, He's the time and season
In Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream
In Isaiah He is Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, the call from sin
Daniel, the stranger in the fire
Hosea, the forever faithful
Joel, the spirit's power
Amos, the strong-arms that carry
Obadiah, the Lord our Savior
Jonah, the great missionary
Micah, the promise of peace
Nahum, our strength and shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's brings revival
In Haggai He restores that which was lost
IN Zachariah, He's our fountain
And in Malachi, He's the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings
AND THAT'S JUST THE OLD TESTAMENT

In Matthew Mark Luke and John, He is God and Messiah
In the spirit filled book of Acts, He is the reigning fire from Heaven
In Romans, He is the grace of God
Corinthians, the power of love
Galatians, freedom from the curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
Colossians, He's God and the trinity
Thessalonians, our calling King
In Timothy, Titus and Philemon, He's our mediator and our faithful pastor
In Hebrews, the everlasting courage
In James, the one who heals the sick
In 1st and 2nd Peter, our faithful shepherd
In John and Jude, He's the lover coming for His bride

AND in the Revelation, in the very end, when it's all over, said and done, when time is NO MORE. He is and will always be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, son of Man, Lamb of God, The Great I am, Alpha and Omega, God and Savior He is Jesus Christ the Lord HE IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED!

B Rocked the Rock!

Blakey enjoyed her first trip to The Rock on Lake Martin! 

She sunbathed, played on the boat and swam a little!!

Enjoyed a little picnic!!!

Popsicles were a must and her favorite! 

She loves hanging out with Uncle Derrick!

Swimming and getting kisses from ZB was FUN too!! 

After a long day of FUN.......she was OUT!! 

ZB right by her side of course!! :) 

They are best buds!!

I vote this should be Powerade's new commercial!! 

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY

What do we do when God interrupts our lives? Many times, like Jonah, we run! In this 7-session Bible study, Priscilla redefines interruption and shows that interruption is actually God's invitation to do something beyond our wildest dreams. When Jonah was willing to allow God to interrupt his life, the result was revival in an entire city. 

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A 7 WEEK WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY!!

Tuesday Nights 6:30-7:30 beginning OCTOBER 4th!!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO ORDER YOU MEMBER BOOK FOR YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY SEPTEMBER 11. THEY ARE $15 AND CONTAIN OUTLINES FOR EACH VIDEO SESSION WE WILL WATCH EACH WEEK WITH PRISCILLA AND THEN A PERSONAL STUDY FOR 5 DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK!!

INVITE A FRIEND!!

QB #16 Trey Fetner

If the South Alabama coaching staff gets its wish, Jaguars fans won't hear a lot about freshman quarterback Trey Fetner this season.

Coaches want to redshirt the 6-foot, 195-pounder from Woodland High School.

That plan, in part, will be determined by the health of starter C.J. Bennett, an incoming freshman a year ago and playing as a redshirt freshman this season. Myles Gibbon is listed as the Jags' No. 2 quarterback, but Fetner has moved to the No. 3 spot and is pushing Gibbon for the backup role.

If Bennett stays healthy throughout the season, no decision needs to be made and Fetner will likely be redshirted. That's just fine with him, he said.

"I'm going to do whatever these coaches need me to do to win," Fetner said. "That's one of the reasons I came to this program. It's very successful. If they want to redshirt me, that's what I'm going to go with. I'm honored to be here, and I'm honored to get the opportunity to play here."

Fetner, who produced more than 2,500 yards of total offense and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Woodland, had other options. South Alabama already had offered a scholarship for the 2011 recruiting class to Kolt Peavey of Bolivar, Mo., and thus asked Fetner to join the program as a walk-on. Other schools were interested in Fetner, but his interest was with the Jags.

"I prayed about it, and I turned it all over to God," Fetner said. "I talked to my family about it. I went on a lot of visits -- I went to West Alabama, Air Force, Army, Alabama, Auburn -- and this is about the only place I felt like I was at home. I have a good relationship with (head) coach (Joey) Jones and (offensive coordinator) coach (Greg) Gregory, and I just felt like these were the guys who were going to give me a fair chance."

Gregory said it was easy to see Fetner would fit in well with the Jags' program, but the trick was convincing him this was the right place for him, especially because he was being asked to join the team as a walk-on.

"We knew he was a good quarterback coming in," Gregory said. "He had come to our camp last year and really threw the ball well. We had four scholarship guys in here who had offers from other schools, and he's really the only one who could really throw the football. But we didn't have a scholarship available. Kolt Peavey had already committed, so I just recruited him like a scholarship player and told him that if he competed well he'd have a chance to get a scholarship."

That was enough for Fetner.

Enrolling in June, Fetner was able to go through summer workouts and take part in voluntary 7-on-7 drills with his new teammates. When he took the field in August for preseason practice, he had made positive steps toward learning the Jags' offense and the other players with whom he would play.

"By being here all summer, he's hanging around C.J. and C.J. knows our offense inside-out and he picked up a lot of that," Gregory said. "He's not quite as far along as C.J. was last year at this time, because he didn't function in that type of offense in high school, but he's getting there pretty fast."

In preseason practices -- especially in the Jags' first scrimmage on Fan Day at Ladd-Peebles Stadium -- Fetner demonstrated his arm strength and accuracy and showed some signs of having grasped the South Alabama offense.

"I feel comfortable," Fetner said. "I still have to improve on making my reads and going through progressions and everything like that. It's a big step from high school, but I'm looking forward to the coming years and looking up to guys like C.J. Bennett and Myles Gibbon."

ONE WEEK...

UNTIL KICK-OFF!!!! ONLY 7 MORE DAYS UNTIL THIS SISTER IS MOBILE BOUND!!
(AND SHE IS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT)
GO JAGS!!!! I LOVE #16!!!! GO TREY FETNER!!!

THIS PICTURE AND CAPTION WAS ON THE MAIN PAGE OF THE WEBSITE TODAY!!

After two days in full pads, and with a final situation scrimmage coming up, the University of South Alabama football team conducted Wednesday’s practice at the fields on campus in helmets and shoulder pads.

http://www.usajaguars.com/

BETH MOORE...What more do you need to know???

Have YOU bought your ticket yet?? You can register online RIGHT NOW! Go to www.clcroanoke.com and do it!

Beth Moore Living Proof Live Simulcast

Location: Community Life Church

Time: ‎9:00AM Saturday, September 10th

PREPARATION CONTINUES! FALL PRACTICE DAY 2

It was another EARLY morning for my baby brother! I can't imagine getting up at 6am to go and get knocked in the grass.....someone would end up hurt! :)
WE are only 2 days and 1 week away from Trey's first college kick-off! 
This sister is BEYOND EXCITED!!
I am preparing.....more details to come soon!!! 
Here is the article from today's practice!  GO JAGS!


MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football team practiced in full gear for two hours Tuesday morning at the practice fields on campus.

Tuesday’s workout opened with special teams drills, followed by individual and group work which included a screen drill and pass fundamentals for the offensive linemen, and blocking and route-running for the skill positions.

The Jaguars then spent just over 10 minutes on inside running drills before heading into almost 20 minutes of skeleton pass drills. The offensive linemen worked on pass protection during that time.

USA then moved to team offense and defense against scout team, with the offense running approximately 35 plays. The offense and defense then came together for blitz pickup in a drill which was controlled by the defense. 

In eight plays, the defense recorded three sacks and forced four incompletions. The offense’s lone completion came in the form of a four-yard gain from C.J. Bennett to Corey Waldon. 

Tuesday’s practice closed with punt return work.

“I thought it was a very good practice with good intensity. We picked it up during inside drill,” said Jaguar head coach Joey Jones. “I felt good about practice today. The kids came out a little slow at first because it was so early, but after 15 or 20 minutes they kicked it in gear.”

With the season opener a little more than a week away, USA has continued to focus on fundamentals but has also begun its preparation for its Sept. 1 matchup against West Alabama. 

“Defensively, we have a good feel for what they (West Alabama) have been doing on offense, and hopefully we can adjust to some of the things they do,” Jones said. “The coaches are doing a good job of getting them a lot of reps and seeing things that we think they are going to do. Offensively, they are a little different coverage-wise from what we’ve been going against in practice so we have to look at those coverages. The front is fairly similar, so we’re going to make sure we expose our kids to that as much as we can the next week-and-a-half.” 

South Alabama will return to practice Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. at the practice fields on campus.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

-USA-

FIRST DAY OF FALL SEMESTER!!

MONDAY WAS TREY'S FIRST DAY OF HIS FIRST COLLEGE FALL SEMESTER! IT STARTED EARLY IN THE MORNING ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND ENDED, AFTER 3 CLASSES, AT THE BOOKSTORE TO GET HIS BOOKS FOR THE SEMESTER. OVERALL I THINK IT WAS YOUR TYPICAL TIRING FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE. I REMEMBER BEING SO OVERWHELMED AND WONDERING HOW I WAS EVER GOING TO MAKE IT. I REMEMBER WALKING DOWN THE CONCOURSE AT AUBURN AND JUST PRAYING....I PRAY THAT TREY WILL HAVE THOSE SAME MOMENTS OF PEACE THAT ONLY GOD CAN GIVE THROUGHOUT HIS TIME AT USA. COLLEGE WAS ONE OF THE MOST FUN BUT HARDEST ADVENTURES OF MY LIFE. I CAN HONESTLY SAY AND KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT GOD CARRIED ME THROUGH. I PRAY THAT TREY WILL ALSO SAY THE SAME......

BELOW IS AN ARTICLE FROM THE BOY'S FIRST DAY OF FALL PRACTICE AFTER HAVING A "WEEKEND OFF"! 

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU TREY. WHENEVER YOU BEGIN TO FEEL OVERWHELMED....STOP. TAKE A WALK AND PRAY. GOD WILL BE YOUR COMFORT, STRENGTH AND PEACE. HE HAS BIG PLANS!!! 

MOBILE, Ala. – The last time the University of South Alabama football team went through a standard two-hour practice, head coach Joey Jones was less than pleased with the Jaguars’ performance.  Following a situational scrimmage and two days off for the student-athletes, Jones’ review of Monday’s workout at the fields on campus was much more positive.

This even though the Jags not only had to contend with practice, but the first day of fall semester classes on campus.

“I thought it was a great practice, especially for the first day of classes.  Usually that’s a bad one because they have their minds on school, pretty girls coming to class and those kinds of things,” said Jones.  “They were focused this morning, it was a really good sign.  I think giving them Saturday and Sunday off really helped.”

Though fall camp concluded on Friday, Monday’s practice was structured in much the same way as drills the first two weeks of the preseason.  USA began the day working on kickoff returns, moving to screens drills on offense before two-vs.-one battles to end the individual period.

The Jaguars participated in 15 minutes of 7-on-7 skeleton passing drills, then the offense and defense worked for a half-hour against scout teams installing plays for the season opener against West Alabama.

A 10-minute team segment had the offense picking up defensive blitz packages, with the first and second-team units getting five snaps apiece.  On the first play of the drill, C.J. Bennett hit Corey Waldon on a crossing route, but the offense would manage just one other completion — on an out route from Bennett to Paul Bennett — the rest of the way.  The defense had sacks recorded by Cori Barnett and Romelle Jones against the first team and Desmond Jones against the second, while both Damond Smith and Alex Page broke up pass attempts by second-team quarterbacks.

“We had some good situational stuff done today with the third-down blitz [drill], the defense did a good job of getting to the quarterback today,” Jones stated.  “They looked a little fresher on defense, which I thought was good.  We’re starting to game plan now, the kids have been watching film on West Alabama.”

The morning ended with the kickoff coverage unit on the field.

Tuesday’s workout will start at 6:45 a.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

8 and counting!

This day 8 months ago was the most fun, happiest and exciting of my life!! 

We are very quickly approaching our 1 year mark. 

The past eight months have flown by! 

I am a FIRM believer in "time flies when you are having fun!"

We are having FUN!!

 I am thankful for our precious family and sweet friends who made our day so very special! 

Thank you all again for all the memories!!

And thanks Love for making me the happiest girl in the world!! 

I know I say this weekly but I really mean it....

I WISH WE COULD GET MARRIED AGAIN THIS YEAR!!! 

Emmalee Rae is HERE!!

Emmalee Rae Jackson was born August 17, 2011 at 8:00am!!

8lbs 4oz, 21"

Congratulations to our precious friends, Kyle and LaRae! 

Anna Kate, we are so proud of you and know what an amazing

 BIG SISTER you are going to be!

GOD!

I can't really describe in words the happiness, excitement and joy I have for my baby brother and his accomplishments!! He has worked SO SO HARD for MANY YEARS! He gives 110% in everything and I am just honored to be his sister.
The following is a quote about Trey from scout.com

"He's a leader and tough guy. The bottom line is he got overlooked. He played at a small school and may be a little short but he's got a cannon for an arm and is a heck of a competitor."


And then this is Trey's "life verse" that he has clung to for the past couple of years..... 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”


This was just a small reminder to me from our Heavenly Father that He is in control and He is going to remain faithful. I AM THANKFUL THAT GOD IS GOOD AND IN CONTROL. I AM ALSO THANKFUL THAT TREY HAS A HEART FOR GOD AND FOR HIS PLAN AND HIS PEOPLE. 


Yes, I will be the first to tell you that Trey is "a HECK of a competitor"! He makes his sister want to kill referees or anyone who thinks one of his plays is less than perfect! 
I will also be the first to tell you that he works his hinny off, has a cannon of an arm and (in my opinion) is the BEST QUARTERBACK EVER!!
HOWEVER, I also will be the first to tell you along with my baby brother who would tell you the same thing......
GOD GAVE TREY HIS TALENT.
GOD CONTINUES TO GIVE HIM THE STRENGTH TO WORK HARD. 
GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL.
GOD HAS RICHLY BLESSED HIM!! 
GOD HAS BIG PLANS AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEE TREY THROUGH.......


TONIGHT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS. THANK YOU FOR BEING FAITHFUL AND CARRYING OUT YOUR PROMISES. PLEASE CONTINUE TO REMIND US THAT YOUR PLANS ARE SO MUCH BIGGER AND GREATER THAN OUR OWN. HUMBLE US SO THAT WE MAY ALWAYS PRAISE YOU IN EVERYTHING. 


TREY FETNER, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! I PRAY FOR YOU DAILY! YOU WORK SO HARD AND ARE SO VERY STRONG! ALWAYS REMEMBER WHERE YOUR STRENGTH COMES FROM. GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOUR LIFE!! 
I LOVE YOU BROTHER!! 

GO TREY FETNER!!

Quarterback Trey Fetner had a solid career at Woodlawn High School, but when Signing Day rolled around he found himself with no Division 1 scholarship offers. After accepting a preferred walk-on offer at South Alabama, Fetner is now reaping the rewards of hard work.

Since he arrived at South Alabama earlier in the summer, Trey Fetner has been very impressive with his work ethic and ability. When he translated that into a standout performance during preseason practice, the USA coaches decided his efforts warranted the awarding of a full scholarship. "He came in and has done a really good job," said head coach Joey Jones. "We thought about offering him even before now, but we didn't have a scholarship available. We had one come available and gave it to him. It was certainly well-deserved." While his height and small-school credentials may have kept D1 recruiters from pursuing him strongly (he did receive an offer to West Alabama), Fetner's strong arm and mobility make him a good candidate to run spread-option elements of the Jag offense. More than that, though, the coaches praise the intangibles that he brings to the program. As evidence of that, the strength staff voted him one of the hardest workers on the team during summer conditioning. The hope is that South Alabama will be able to redshirt Fetner and keep him around for five years. Whether it is four or five years, Coach Jones knows that they have been extremely fortunate to add a player of his caliber without an initial scholarship. "He's a leader and tough guy. The bottom line is he got overlooked. He played at a small school and may be a little short but he's got a cannon for an arm and is a heck of a competitor." Congratulations to Trey Fetner, the newest scholarship player at The University of South Alabama!

20 DAYS...

until Trey's first college football kick-off and his sister has FOOTBALL FEVER!!! 

GO JAGS!!!!

It's Football Friday! Only 20 days until Kickoff: South Alabama vs. West Alabama, Thurs, September 1 at 6:30p.m.! Come meet Coach Joey Jones and the rest of the South Alabama football team for Fan Day on Saturday, August 13 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. We encourage all fans to bring memorabilia to be signed and cameras for pictures of your favorite Jaguar players on the field. This is a FREE event and open to the public. Parking at Ladd-Peebles Stadium is also free.

Shorter Friday Practice!

8/12/11 MOBILE, Ala. – In anticipation of the University of South Alabama football team’s first scrimmage of preseason camp, head coach Joey Jones made the decision not only to practice in just shells Friday at the fields on campus but to end the workout early.

“We cut 30 minutes out of the practice. I thought that would help us in anticipation of the scrimmage,” he explained.  “We’re not real beat down with our legs.  I think they are tired, but they’re not to the breaking point yet.  I think we’ve monitored that pretty well throughout the last nine days, we feel good going into the scrimmage.”

USA’s “Fan Day” — which will be held in conjunction with the first scrimmage of the fall — will wrap up the second week of preseason camp, taking place Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon.  Following the second half of the scrimmage fans and supporters of the program will get to meet and take pictures with the Jaguars, have an opportunity to select their seats for the 2011 season, and purchase JagWear and tailgating merchandise from the USA Bookstore.

“Fan Day,” as well as parking for the event, is free and open to the public.

According to Jones, Saturday’s two-hour scrimmage will present individuals who are not yet on the coaching staff’s depth chart an opportunity to earn repetitions in practice and playing time going forward.  “I told them the biggest thing is we’re going to be looking at a lot of them,” he stated.  “We’re not going to be able to spend much time with those three and four deep in practice as we have these first couple of weeks.  We have to start getting ready for games and start shuffling down about two-deep where we can work with just a few threes.

“So if they want to shine, they need to shine tomorrow.”

While Jones and the staff are pleased with what they have seen through 10 workouts thus far this month, he is looking for the Jaguars to take that performance into situations similar to what will be seen in games beginning Thursday, Sept. 1, when USA meets West Alabama in Mobile to open the campaign.

“You have guys who are good practice players, and we just hope they’re good game players. Some guys are average practice players and great game players,” commented Jones.  “The past nine days, we’ve felt like we have had a bunch of good practice players.  We’re going to see which ones carry that out to the game — see guys who can stay calm, take what they’ve learned and put it out on the field and relax and play.  We’re looking to watch all these guys on film and grade them and see where we are.”

Friday’s practice, which lasted an hour and 45 minutes, had the Jags following individual drills by working on screen passes during 20 minutes of group action.  The offense then worked with half the line against the scout team during inside drills as well as on play-action passing for 10 minutes.

After 15 minutes of 7-on-7 skeleton passing drills, USA ran third-and-long plays from inside the offense’s 30-yard line.  The last segment of the team period set up the offense in the red zone needing a touchdown on the last play of the game to win.  The first team was unable to score on plays from the 20-, 15- and 10-yard lines, with Damond Smith breaking up passes intended for Bryant Lavender and Corey Besteda.  Logan Bennett eventually tracked down a scrambling Myles Gibbon on the second-team unit’s first snap, with the defense then forcing back-to-back incompletions to keep the offense out of the end zone during the drill.

Looking back at a week of practice that saw the Jags in pads three times, Jones stated that he was pleased with what USA accomplished.  At the same time, he acknowledged that there is still work to be done prior to the season opener.

“It was a very good week,” Jones observed.  “The offense still has to execute, but that’s what offense is— execution.  It takes a little while to get everybody together, and if we do that then we’re going to be pretty good.  We just have to make sure we execute.  But we’re probably putting too much on them, their minds are spinning right now.”

08 Reunion!

Last night I was able to hang out with some long time friends from high school!!!
7 out of the 18 of us that graduated together, got together last night for some good food and many laughs!
It was so great to catch up with everyone and reminisce on many funny times we have had together!

We ended the night on my back porch in Wadley.......thankful for the small town life!!

Beth Moore Living Proof Live Simulcast

Plan ahead ladies for an amazing women's event!!! When this many "God fearing" women get together there is going to be a BLESSING!! Of course it is Beth Moore too....we all know she is wonderful!!!

Saturday, September 10 · 9:30am - 4:30pm Community Life Church 220 County Road 79 Roanoke, AL Tickets are $20/person (Includes Conference and Lunch). Register online atwww.clcroanoke.com or purchase tickets at Community Life Church. For more information call 334.863.5433. This event is sponsored by Wadley Baptist Church, Community LIFE Church, Mountain Springs Baptist Church, and First Baptist Church Roanoke.

USA Practice Update!

8/10/2011 MOBILE, Ala. – With the University of South Alabama football program now a week into fall practice, head coach Joey Jones felt Wednesday morning’s two-hour workout at the fields on campus was a good time to ease up on the physical contact.

After practicing in full pads and going through contact drills each of the last two mornings, and coming off the first two-a-day session of the preseason, the Jaguars took the field in shells.

“We backed off them physically and tried to teach a lot on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball,” Jones commented.  “I thought that was really good.”

In 20 minutes of 11-on-11 action, the Jags spent half the time working on third-and-long situations and the other half running two-minute drills.

C.J. Bennett opened with a 15-yard completion to Jeremé Jones to move the chains, but the defense forced four straight incompletions before Trey Fetner scrambled for a first down.  Bennett would connect with Corey Waldon for another first down, which was followed immediately by a completion from Fetner to J.J. Keels for another, but Bryson James and Cori Barnett posted quarterback sacks around those two plays to conclude that segment of practice.

The defense was able to stop both the first- and second-team units in the two-minute drill.  Bennett found Waldon on second down for a gain of four yards, but two incompletions afterwards stalled the drive.  Given a second chance, the offense moved into field-goal range but saw a field-goal attempt with the clock winding down sail wide left.  After the second team suffered a sack on its opening snap, Myles Gibbon scrambled for nine yards before hitting Corey Besteda for an 11-yard gain to pick up a first down.  After moving the chains again with a nine-yard pass to Taylor Noon and rush for one yard, Will Thompson recorded another sack to record another stop for the defense.

“It was the first time we introduced the two-minute drill this fall,” said Jones.  “We’ll learn from the film and get better from there.  I told the guys today that we have to know situations in the game.  That’s why we put them in all these positions, so when they get in the game it is second nature to them.

“We’re not running these things just to run them, but to learn the situations and carry them forward.”

Prior to a 10-minute break, USA worked 15 minutes on the passing game in 7-on-7 skeleton drills.  The offense also spent 10 minutes running play-action pass plays, while inside drills saw half the offense line working against a scout team.

Special teams practice included punting at the beginning of the day and punt return work to close out the session.

With the Jaguars a week into practice, and having held two full-contact sessions, Jones feels good about where the projected starters are; but, he acknowledged concerns as well.  “I feel real good about our first-team units on both sides of the ball,” he stated.  “I worry a little bit about our depth on the offensive side of the ball — on the line, we have to get kids to step up there, we can’t play with six or seven guys.  We’ve got to have more than that.

“I thought today we made some strides, especially in pass protection.  The linemen picked blitzes up better, so we need to continue to work and get those young guys ready.”

Jones also praised the upperclassmen for their efforts through one week of preseason camp.  Although USA’s experienced players have aided the staff in teaching newcomers to this point, he still has suggested that the staff slow down its installation of any more of the game plan for the upcoming campaign.

“The upperclassmen have done a tremendous job, they understand what we are doing,” observed Jones.  “One thing I talked to the coaches about today — especially on offense — is to not put any more in.  We’ve thrown a lot at them to this point, let’s allow things to filter for a few days and see if they can get better at what they are doing.

“That’s what we are focusing on as a staff.”

Thursday’s practice will start at 6:15 a.m. on the practice fields and be conducted in full pads, marking the final time the Jags will go through contact drills prior to the first scrimmage of the month on Saturday.

USA-Coach Gregory

This was an interview from yesterday with one of Trey's coaches at South, Greg Gregory(GG)! 

I sat down with South Alabama offensive coordinator Greg Gregory. Gregory has been at some notable programs including his last position prior to South, as the OC at South Florida. You may remember in 2007 when South Florida beat Auburn at Auburn. Here is some of our conversation.

DB  South Florida is often considered the measuring stick by which other start up football programs are measured. Compare South Alabama to USF.

GG  "There is no doubt South Alabama will get to the same level as USF prior to them getting in Big East. Getting into a BCS conference, that's the big jump. I think this program can go as far as this administration  wants it to go.Having the Godaddy.com Bowl im Mobile, even though we (South Al) don't control it, I know we have some influence on it. That's a bit of a bargaining chip for us I think."

DB  Are you concerned with the challenges the offensive line will face with this year's upgraded schedule?

GG  "We block better than a lot of football teams that you see on tape.We truly block people. We don't have massive size but we are very athletic.I think we have enough talent to compete with anybody we play. I don't really worry about our line. They are tough and they are going to compete. I don't think it will be a major issue for us."

DB  Quarteback C.J. Bennett looks like a star in the making. Evaluate Bennett

GG  "Even when he came in last year as a 17 year old, all along I knew he'd be our guy. I think he's the best (college) quarterback in the state of Alabama. He's a player. He can really throw it. Smart, sees things. When he tells you something happened on the field, that's what happened. He is very polished. And he's very excited to be here. He's as accurate as you want, has as quick a release and the biggest thing is his willingness to pull the trigger. He's got the best release I've ever been around."

 DB  What incoming freshman has caught your eye?

GG  "It's another quarterback, Trey Fetner from Woodland. He has a cannon. He could really be an outstanding quarterback."

DB  This is a very balanced offense. Tell me about the running game.

GG  "With Demetre Baker and Kendall Houston we have a couple of really powerful backs. Baker has more flat out speed. Both of them are violent runners.They really run the ball hard. Kendall's probably a little more reliable right now at holding on to the ball but Demetre's a really good player."

DB  You lose a terrific receiver in Courtney Smith who is trying to make it in the NFL. What about the returning receivers?

GG  "Jereme Jones (from McGill) is probably our best receiver right now. He's been the most consistent. Our big thing is where are the big plays going to come from? Last year if we threw it up five times to Courtney, one of those was going to be big. So that's a big question."

DB  Any thought of B.J. Scott (transfer from Alabama) being part of the offense?

GG  "He'll be in the return game. He'll be one of our kick off returners. But as far as playing some offense, maybe a year from now. He's got too much responsability on defense. I think (playing both ways) is really hard to do."

Thanks to Greg Gregory for his time. It was a great visit. Next up we'll sit down with the player Gregory called "the best quarterback in the state of Alabama", C.J. Bennett