By Thomas Grant Jr.
Eagle Stadium was full of action this past weekend.
Airport High School held two separate events involving as many as 300 young football players.
The first was a school-sponsored Friday Night Lights Youth Football Camp. Supervised by head coach and athletics director Shane Fidler, the 3-hour camp saw close to 175 participants ages five to 12 sign up to receive free training in basic fundamentals.
The activities ranged from running through obstacle courses on the field to working out in the school weight room.
On Saturday, the school served as the host site for the Shrine Bowl Combine. A total of 135 invited senior players from throughout the Palmetto State participated in individual and 7-on-7 drills.
South Carolina Shrine Bowl head coach Reggie Kennedy used the event to help further down his list of players to be selected for the Dec. 21 game at Wofford College. A total of 44 players will be chosen for the Shrine Bowl, with another 88 to participate in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl in Myrtle Beach on Dec. 14.
Airport’s Fidler and Ridge View head coach Derek Howard will coach in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. Howard was also in attendance to help run drills and scout prospective All-Stars.
Among the local players invited were quarterback Landon Sharpe, offensive lineman Donovan Sims and defensive back Devin Geronomi (all of White Knoll), tight end Connor Gooding (Gilbert), wide receiver Amarii King and offensive lineman Antohn Ford (both Brookland-Cayce), defensive lineman Cleve Tellery (Ridge View), wide receiver Stephen Collier and placekicker Tripp Bryant (both of River Bluff), wide receiver Avery Jones (Airport), quarterback AJ Brand and offensive lineman Ryan Love (both of Irmo), linebacker Josh Smith, offensive lineman Cayden McFadden and defensive back Elgin Sessions (all of Dutch Fork) and wide receiver Khalen Bostic (Chapin).
On Tuesday, Airport held its second-annual Football Clinic for Moms. The mothers of junior varsity, C-team and varsity players were able to take part in the same training drills of their respective sons.
