JEFFERSON CITY – Despite heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon the South Greene football team took the field in and effort to get better.
At a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp at Carson-Newman University the Rebels got in a practice in the morning and then played in some 7-on-7 scrimmages in the afternoon.
“We got out here and got some work done. The rain kind of hindered things today, but we got guys some important reps and that makes it a successful day,” South Greene coach Shawn Jones said. “The big things we want to see is do they know their job and are they being a good teammate. Overall it was pretty good day.”
With the regular season now just one month away the biggest thing the Rebels are focusing on at Carson-Newman is getting some of their younger guys ready for varsity action. Jones feels like he has a strong group of veterans who are leading the squad, but with a small roster quality depth will play a key role in determining how South Greene’s season goes.
“We have a lot of young guys that are learning a new system. Some of those guys are going to have to play, and we have to get them ready. That makes this really valuable for us,” Jones said. “We have to build depth. We feel like we know what our first group can do. But at a small school depth is so important. We have to find guys who can step up and play, and we have to find out where they can play. We put the pads on next week and then we’ll have our first scrimmage next Friday. We’ll learn a lot more then.”
The most notable of those new faces in the huddle is sophomore quarterback Dawson Ripley who has taken over as the starting signal caller. Every day South Greene is working to get him ready for a season opening clash with Class 6A Morristown East on August 21.
On Wednesday he lobbed some nice deep balls to fellow sophomore Trent Haynes, while making some quality connections with Simon Burns and Shawn Owenby.
The Rebels are not just focused on their on-field production while at Carson-Newman. Staying overnight and doing activities together on campus gives them a chance gel as a team and develop as young men.
“It’s just a great camp for us. This is our third year doing it and its great for team building,” Jones said. “These guys are trying to become men, they are getting ready to get out of high school and get in into life. Each night at chapel we’re talking about their relationship with God. That’s one of the biggest things we get out of this. This is really good for our team.”
Teams can start padded practice on Monday and the regular season will begin on August 21. The Rebels went 8-4 in 2025 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
