Hardaway football puts up points in scrimmage against Upson-Lee

The Hardaway Hawks closed out their spring Friday in a scrimmage that showed glimpses of the team’s potential for the coming season.

The Hawks had a tough task in facing Upson-Lee, one made tougher by a few turnovers early on. After falling behind to the home Knights, Hardaway closed the gap as the exhibition wore on. Upson-Lee ultimately won the game 35-30.

Hardaway head coach Michael Woolridge was pleased with his team’s showing against an Upson-Lee team which made the playoffs the last two seasons.

“I’m really proud of the way the boys fought back when we got down a few scores,” Woolridge said. “We came out slow in the first quarter and had some costly turnovers. The defense got some stops and allowed us to make some plays offensively.”

The scrimmage featured a few kinks compared to what the Hawks will deal with in the fall. After playing two normal quarters to start the game, the first two drives of the second half were red zone possessions with the starters still on the field. The backups for both teams played at the end of the third quarter and the entirety of the fourth.

Several Hawks put forth commendable efforts in the game. Wide receiver Jahkari Thomas never let the Knights defense slow him down, racking up 106 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Dominique Ford ended the scrimmage with three passing touchdowns.

Defensively, outside linebacker A.J. Dunham was a menace in the Upson-Lee backfield, racking up eight tackles, one sack and one safety. Defensive end Kylan Draper came through repeatedly as well, ending the scrimmage with six tackles, two of which were for loss.

The Hawks are coming off Woolridge’s first season at the helm of his alma mater. During that debut year, Hardaway posted its best win total since 2010. For his efforts, Woolridge was selected as the All-Bi-City Large School Coach of the Year.

Hardaway won’t play another game until August 11, when the Hawks scrimmage Spencer six days before Hardaway’s season opener against Troup County. Between now and then, the Hawks will spend the summer working to make last season’s 5-4 record a launching pad for something bigger in 2017.

“Spring is over and we’re ready to get back to the weight room,” Woolridge said.

This story was originally published May 21, 2017 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Hardaway football puts up points in scrimmage against Upson-Lee."