By Chrissy Smith – Winter 2008 Article from HomeschoolInsider.com

The NCC Crusaders stopped the two point attempt by the Georgia Force Homeschool football team with 1 second left to defeat the Georgia Force and become the 2007 GFL Champions. With the defeat, the winning streak of the Force ends as well. As they look to rebuild, head coach Scott Willis spoke with HSI about how they got this far.

Saying the force is with them would be an understatement. The Georgia Force High School football team has only lost four games in four years. The squad is comprised of players who are either homeschooled or who attend a Christian school without a football team.

The Georgia Force has gone 36-4 in the last four years and has won three state championships in the Georgia Football League. Last year the team played in the state championship game, but lost 21-19 to the NCC Crusaders.

“It’s been good football. We’ll be challenged next year. We’ve got a lot of young guys. I guess this year will be our rebuilding year,” Georgia Force head coach Scott Willis said. Willis is a former college athlete. He played football at Appalachian State, and has two daughters. He was not planning on being the head coach of the Force, but when he volunteered to “help out,” he was put in charge of it all.

The homeschool football team started four years ago. At that time, there were only two players and no coach. Once the team signed up Willis as head coach, he wanted to find an organization that would sponsor them. He was led to the Georgia Force arena football team. “I was put in touch with the Georgia Force CEO and he gave me the rights to use the Georgia Force logos,” Willis said. “They gave me all of their away jerseys.”

With the arena team sponsoring the GFHS, Willis just needed to find enough players to make a team. Through e-mails and a local newspaper story, Willis managed to sign up 22 players. Blake Coughlin was one of the first players to join the Force. “It doesn’t matter where I’m playing as long as I get to play,” Coughlin, the 17-year-old wide receiver and linebacker, said. He is being looked at by Samford University in Birmingham, AL to play football.
“I loved the place. I haven’t gotten offered any scholarships yet, but I came across it (Samford) because I was looking for a sports medicine school. I heard they had a new coach, so I thought maybe this was the place for me,” Coughlin said.

Before heading off to college in a year, Coughlin will keep playing with the Force. Willis and his team used a closed high school football stadium to play all of its games in 2002. That year the Force went 8-3. Now there are 63 players on the team’s roster and the GFHS has gone 28-1 in its last 29 games.

There are currently nine teams in the Georgia Football League, but Willis believes there will be 11 teams for next season. There are homeschool and Christian schools that play in the league. The GFHS has done well against its competition and although the team cannot play against any public high school teams, they can scrimmage against them.

According to the Georgia High School rules, homeschool teams cannot play games against public school teams. When the Force scrimmaged against a double-A high school team, they lost 22-6. However, with four minutes to go in the game, the score was 8-6. “They kept their starters in the whole game, and I didn’t,” Willis said.

The Force has definitely made improvements from their first year as a team. Now they hold all their practices at Old Norcross park and play all their games on Friday nights, just like the high schools, at George Pierce Park.
There also is a cheerleading squad, made up of 20 cheerleaders, and a marching band that was added last year.

“I’ve always told everybody that I want our program to be as much like high school football as possible,” Willis said. He has recruited large businesses to help support his team, just like the arena team. “The giving part of all this is phenomenal. The Georgia Force company donated the logos on our helmets from Georgia Force. The arena teams starts the first of March, so whenever they order their logos I get mine early,” Willis said. “We have a touchdown club that sells apparel and car flags and banners. We have the table set up at every game and sell all this.”

Traveling is a tricky aspect for the Force. If a game is far away, Willis will rent motor coaches. If the game is close, the team will caravan or meet there. All the games are within a one and a half hour mile radius. “If it’s a home game, we have Wendy’s after the game. They close at 10 p.m., but they bring the staff in at night and open up just for us,” Willis said. The head coach has sent two players to college to play at the next level. One player is at Greenville College in Illinois and the other is playing at Kentucky Christian College in Kentucky.Willis tells his players that it is more important to go to a small college and get playing time than to walk-on to a big university and never see the field. “As we’ve gone along the four years, we’ve learned how to better expose our players. Right now we have four players who are being recruited, and one of the four have already signed with a junior college,” Willis said.
He and his coaching staff recently participated in an expo at the Gwinnette County Civic Center to get their four players seen. “We try to get our name out there as much as possible to tell people we are a legitimate football team,” Willis said.

Andrew Long is a 17-year-old center for the Force. He said that before last season he was not planning on playing football in college. “A lot of smaller schools have started looking at us now. Because we have made a name for ourselves, I’d like to play,” Long said. Last year the Force had 11 seniors on their team. Next year there will be nine. The seniors handled some serious games last year, including two games in triple overtime, which they won.

Coughlin and Long both had a part to play in their team winning those games. Coughlin was the captain of the team last season. He said everyone on the team is close. “We are such a close family, especially the seniors from last year. Everybody is always positive and caring,” Coughlin said. Long added that the atmosphere of the team is the best part.
“With this team, it’s a lot more forgiving than playing in public school,” he said. Willis plays a big part of making his players feel welcome. Coaching is just his part-time job. By day, he works full-time for Citation Manufacturing. He has been there for 16 years, and the president of the company has let Willis work around his coaching schedule.
The team practices Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8:15 p.m. Willis’ oldest daughter, Bonnie, is a 23-year-old cheerleading coach and his 15-year-old daughter, Alexis, is a cheerleader for the Force. Alexis has been homeschooled since first grade.

“At first I was concerned about the social aspect, but now it’s the opposite. Homeschooling doesn’t take but two or three hours a day, but in public school you have to go to so many more classes,” Willis said. “We felt like we were called by God, and you are going to get that one-on-one time. We certainly felt that the social aspect does not hurt them. They learn at their own level.” The coaching staff has made it a point to look to God before every practice and game. “We pray before every game and every practice. During the games, it’s usually the coaches, but sometimes other people who pray,” Coughlin said. “We always pray for any injuries or problems on the team.” Long said the coaching staff and team are made up of great people. “The coaches and the friends make this experience great,” Long said. “Football is my passion.”

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2007 Force Football Season

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2006 Force Football Season

“It was a lot of hard work,” Force’s coach Scott Willis said about winning the championship.
“To go 10-0 and undefeated for two straight years is a tough thing to do. I knew we would be in for a game but the tables turned quick and we just kept working and pushing and we got it.”

After a poor first half Willis said he made some adjustments to turn the tide in their favor.
“We made adjustments and kept it simple. We went up the middle of the field and moved on them.”
“Our defense played phenomenal the entire game. We knew they were going to throw the ball long and knew they were going to pass on us and tried to stick with them and stop them,” Willis said.

The Force had played in a eight on eight tournament over the past week and Willis said that helped his team.
“The tournament, the NCAC tournament that helped us, that prepared us. We played two eight on eight passing football teams and that helped us a lot coming into this football game,” Willis said.

The Force scored on its first possession of the game going 40 yards and quarterback Eddie Jackson took the ball in from a yard out to make it 7-0.
NCC then drove down inside the Force’s 20 yard line on a 62-yard pass play from freshman quarterback Ryan Singer to Stefan Moore.
The Force’s defense then held and forced them backwards and stopped them on fourth down to end the threat.
Late in the second quarter the Force got its second score of the game on a 19 yard touchdown run by Shaun Valentine in which he ran up the middle and burst pass the secondary to make it 14-0.
Then in the third quarter the Force put the game out of reach. The Force took its first possession of the second half and scored on a 29-yard touchdown run by Caleb Hecox in which he took the handoff up the middle and cut to the outside and ran it in.
Then four minutes later Valentine scored again for the Force on a 13 yard run to make it 28-0.
The on NCC’s next possession Hecox intercepted a pass and returned it 23 yards for a score to make it 34-0.

The Force put a lot of pressure on Singer sacking him five times. Alex Higgins, Tim Gordon, Reinsmith, Ryan Capes, and Chris Derepentigny alll had a sack.
Valentine rushed the ball 16 times for 106 yards. Jackson had 7 carries for 19 yards and he also threw a pass for 27 yards. Justin Reinsmith had 6 carries for 43 yards.
NCC’s Singer threw for 168 yards in a losing effort. Moore had 4 catches for 85 yards. NCC’s leading rusher was Aselmo Lozano with 8 carries for 51 yards.

Georgia Force: Team Review

Led by Jr. quarterback Eddie Jackson (#5) , the Force has been unstoppable offensively this year both on the ground and through the air. Jackson’s favorite target is Sr. wide receiver Alex Higgins (#9). The ground game features Shaun Valentine (#20) and Justin Reinsmith (#11), but Jackson is the key because he can either run, pass or pitch it for a score from anywhere on the field. Not to be outdone, the Force defense has been excellent, giving up only 4 touchdowns during the GFL season (on 2 passes, 1 run and 1 block punt that was picked up and run in for a touchdown). The defense is led by Higgins at end, Clint Cooper (#98) at defensive tackle and Caleb Hecox (#10) at linebacker, but it’s a team defense which has shown no weakness. In the semifinal game, the Force battled a tough Christian Heritage team, winning 30-13.

2006 GFL All Conference Team (Force Players)
Eddie Jackson Georgia Force #5..
Alex Higgins Georgia Force #9..
Caleb Hecox Georgia Force #10..
Justin Reinsmith Georgia Force #11..
Nick Mauney Georgia Force #12..
Shaun Valentine Georgia Force #20..
Kaz Takikawa Georgia Force #68..
Travis Hardin Georgia Force #78..
Clint Cooper Georgia Force #98

2006 GFL Regular Season Standings

TEAM……………………….WON..LOST

Georgia Force…………………7……0

NCC Crusaders………………..5……2
Tied for 2nd place
North Georgia Falcons……….5……2
Tied for 2nd place
Christian Heritage Lions…….5……2
Tied for 2nd place
Bartow Generals……………..3……4

East Atlanta Mustangs……….2……5

War Hill Warriors……………..1……6

NCA Lions……………………….0……7

2006 Player Roster (Varsity)
83 Auton, Jonathan
37 Barajas, Jon
42 Capes, Ryan
31 Casey, Eric
36 Casey, Daniel
75 Connor, Josh
98 Cooper, Clint
24 Coughlin, Blake
45 Derepentigny, Chris
2 Gordon, Tim
78 Hardin, Travis
88 Hardin, Chris
10 Hecox, Caleb
9 Higgins, Alex
5 Jackson, Edward
33 Jenkins, Chris
71 Long, Andrew
85 Lyons, Cameron
12 Mauney, Nick
22 Powell, Chris
11 Reinsmith, Justin
94 Takikawa, Kaz
72 Tilden, Daniel
20 Valentine, Shaun
35 Vines, Cole
81 Wetherford, Donnie

2006 JV Roster

25 Allison, Ben
97 Anderson, Michael
56 Bennett, Zach
60 Boss, Bradley
31 Casey, Eric
6 Crabb, Cameron
99 Dorsey, Kyle
21 Griswold, Matthew
80 Hardin, Matthew
98 Heard, Nathan
40 Huff, Jordan
33 Jenkins, Chris
48 Leggett, Nathan
32 Lyons, Patrick
34 Masters, Chris
18 Motes, Clay
82 Motes, Kirk
3 Mullininx, Michael
55 North, Josiah
93 Norton, Ben
85 Norton, David
4 Oswald, Jacob
8 Oswald, Zachary
1 Patterson, Elisha
47 Patterson, Ethan
43 Poulin, Gabriel
30 Raab, Dorian
62 Recio, Esteban
70 Soares, Blake
79 Thompson, Zavior
72 Tilden, Daniel
44 Umstead, Alex
54 Wetherford, Caleb

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2005 Georgia Force Football Season

Georgia Force win 2005 GFL Championship

2005 GFL Champions Georgia Force

Georgia Force beats War Hill Warriors 57-22

The Georgia Force completed a perfect GFL season winning 57-22 over the War Hill Warriors in the GFL Championship game played Saturday night at St.Pius. The Force are unbeaten with a 10-0 record.

GFL Director Hank St.Denis presents Force Head Coach Scott Willis with 2005 GFL Championship Trophy

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Force players celebrate being crowned GFL Champions as they hoist Coach Scott Willis on their shoulders

GFL Semifinal Results

Georgia Force rolls over North Georgia 54-0

Force kicker Neal Touchton attempts extra point as Falcons JJ Koch rushes in to block it

In a rematch of last years championship game between the Force and Falcons (2004 GFL Champions), the Georgia Force made sure there would be no repeat. The Force forced a Falcon fumble on the second play of the game then scored three plays later on a Justin Reinsmith run. The Force then scored two more times in the first quarter to lead 21-0. Another touchdown in the second quarter made the halftime score 28-0. The Falcons couldn’t get anything going on offense due to the Force’s smothering defense. The second half was much the same story as the Force continued to dominate on offense (scoring four more time) and on defense.

Georgia Force beats War Hill Warriors 57-22

The Georgia Force completed a perfect GFL season winning 57-22 over the War Hill Warriors in the GFL Championship game played Saturday night at St.Pius. The Force are unbeaten with a 10-0 record.

In a rematch of last years championship game between the Force and Falcons (2004 GFL Champions), the Georgia Force made sure there would be no repeat. The Force forced a Falcon fumble on the second play of the game then scored three plays later on a Justin Reinsmith run. The Force then scored two more times in the first quarter to lead 21-0. Another touchdown in the second quarter made the halftime score 28-0. The Falcons couldn’t get anything going on offense due to the Force’s smothering defense. The second half was much the same story as the Force continued to dominate on offense (scoring four more time) and on defense.

Georgia Force 61 War Hill 12
Georgia Force 69 Bartow 18

Georgia Force 42 North Georgia 8
It is often said that the final score of a game is not indicative of the game that was played. In the Force-Falcons game this statement is applicable, but you could also say that the play of the special teams had much to do with the outcome of this game. The game was scoreless in the first quarter, then the Force capitalized on a long run by Justin Reinsmith on an option play that resulted in the first touchdown. Force 6-0. On the kickoff, the Force recovered a fumble and on the first play scored again to make it 12-0. Both teams were moving the ball, but turnovers contributed to drives being stopped. It was a very hard fought game. The Falcons scored on a 62 yard pass from Josh Veal to Trae Cagle midway thru the third quarter and were successful on the 2-pt attempt, making the score 12-8. The Falcons held the Force on the next series and the momentum had clearly shifted to the Falcons. However, a safety made the score 14-8 and then on the first play after the kick, Andrew Auton score for the Force on a long run. The score was now 20-8. The Force then kick the ball deep to the Falcons, who fumbled on the one yard line. The Force scored, then kickoff again to the Falcons. Once again for the third time, the kickoff was fumbled by the Falcons and the Force recovered. Several plays later the Force scored again. Near the end of the game, the Force blocked a punt attempt by the Falcons and recovered the ball in the end zone to score their final points. Four costly turnovers by the Falcons, 3 on kickoffs and then a blocked punt, led to easy touchdowns by the Force. Final score Force 42 Falcons 8 The Force remain unbeaten at 6-0.

Force roars past the NCA Lions 43-8

Force edges NCC 14-8
The Georgia Force scored 14 points in the first half on two touchdowns, then held on as the NCC Crusaders gallant effort fell short. Defense won out in this contest as the Force came in averaging 50+ points per game and NCC averaging 26. The win moves the Force into sole possession of first place and keeps them undefeated.

Georgia Force blanks West Georgia 34-0
Georgia Force 61 War Hill Warriors 24
Georgia Force 57 East Atlanta 14

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2005 Georgia Force Roster
#….Last Name, First..Varsity or JV

42 Anderson, Jerrid V
43 Auton, Andrew V
83 Auton, Jonathan V
37 Barajas, Jon V
60 (V) 83 (JV) Boss, Bradley V/JV
93 Boswell, Lee V
30 (V) 32 (JV) Brauhn, Jacob V/JV
54 Brauhn, Daniel V
25 (V) 21 (JV) Campa, Jered V/JV
18 (V) 10 (JV) Casey, Eric V/JV
36 (V) 23 (JV) Casey, Daniel V/JV
75 Connor, Josh V
68 Cooper, Clint V
24 Coughlin, Blake V/JV
45 Derepentigny, Chris V
99 (V) 34 (JV) Dorsey, Kyle V/JV
80 (V) 89 (JV) Forness, Keegan V/JV
55 Galli, Max V
90 (V) 93 (JV) Hammond, Sam V/JV
78 Hardin, Travis V
10 Hecox, Caleb V
9 Higgins, Alex V
4 Hoffmaister, Mario V/JV
34 Jackson, Eddie V
1 (V) 3 (JV) Jenkins, Chris V/JV
5 Kelton, Jr., John V/JV
71 Long, Andrew V/JV
32 Lyons, Patrick V
12 Mauney, Nick V
97 Mauney, Cory V
62 Moody, Kyle V
56 Moody, Kason V
41 North, Zack V
8 (V) 43 (JV) Oswald, Zachary V/JV
85 Owens, Joshua V/JV
22 Powell, Chris V
21 Reinsmith, Justin V
33 Rowland, Egan V/JV
47 (V) 42 (JV) Sasser, Ethan V/JV
94 Takikawa, Kaz V
79 (V) 78 (JV) Thompson, Zavior V/JV
73 Tilden, Daniel V/JV
3 Touchton, Neal V
44 (V) 9 (JV) Umstead, Alex V/JV
20 Valentine, Shaun V
35 Vines, Cole V/JV
81 Wetherford, Donnie V

2005 Georgia Force game schedule

Aug 19: Georgia Force 57 East Atlanta 14 in Conyers
Aug 26: Georgia Force 61 War Hill 24
Sept 2: Georgia Force 34 West Georgia 0 in Buchanan
Sept 9: Georgia Force 14 NCC 8 in Suwanee
Sept 16: Georgia Force 43 NCA 8 in Suwanee
Sept 23: Georgia Force 42 North Georgia 8
Sept 30: Georgia Force 69 Bartow 18 in Suwanee
Oct 14: Georgia Force 61 War Hill 12 in Suwanee

Oct 22: GFL Playoffs
Georgia Force 54 North Georgia 0
Oct 30: GFL Championship Game
Georgia Force 57 War Hill 22

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2004 Georgia Force game results

Aug 27: Georgia Force 41 Barrow Christian Saints 8
Sept 3: West Georgia Rebels 22 Georgia Force 20
Sept 10: Georgia Force 46 Hill Academy 6
Sept 20: Georgia Force 39 North Georgia Falcons 32
Sept 24: Georgia Force 31 NCA Lions 16
Oct 1: Georgia Force 54 War Hill Warriors 14
Oct 9 NCC Crusaders 32 Georgia Force 20
Oct 15: Georgia Force 48 Barrow 18
Playoffs
Oct 22: #2 Georgia Force 42 #7 Barrow 0 (Round One)
Oct 30: #2 Georgia Force 41 #3 West Georgia 14(Semifinals)
Nov 6: GFL Championship Game
North Georgia Falcons 44 Georgia Force 10

Below are the 2004 Team Players:

#………Name…………………Position
83….. Jeffery Blithe……….Lineman
93……Lee Boswell…………Receiver/D-Back
24……Blake Coughlin…….R-Back/Linebacker
78……Danny Formell……..Lineman
10……Caleb Hecox………..QB/Linebacker/R-Back
23……Daniel Hunter………R-Back/Linebacker
34……Edward Jackson……Receiver/Linebacker
71……Andrew Long……….Center/Lineman
21……Justin Reinsmith…..R-Back/Lineman
5……..John Kelton Jr……..D-Back/R-Back
98……Jordan Rice………….Lineman
94……Kazumasu Takikawa.Lineman
73……Daniel Tildon………….Lineman
3……..Neal Touchton………QB
4……..Mitch Welborn………Receiver/D-End
43……Andrew Auton………R-Back/Linebacker
83……Jonathan Auton……Linebacker
32……Eric Anthony…………R-back/Cornerback
9……..Alex Higgins………….D-End
42……Jerrid Kellogg………..D-End
75……Teddy Maull…………..O-Lineman
97……Cory Mauney…………DE/TE
89……Nick Mauney………….Cornerback

August 27, 2004 – CONGRATULATIONS!!!
GEORGIA FORCE Wins over Barrow County 41-8

Georgia Force won its opening game against Barrow County with a commanding victory, winning by a score of 41-8.

Eddie Jackson (#34) returned an Interception 22 yards for a touchdown to get the scoring going early, within the first minute of the game. Justin Reinsmith (#21) led the team with 3 Touchdown runs, Rushing for 150 yards for the game. Mitch Welborn’s (#4) 10 yard Touchdown reception and Andrew Auton’s (#43) 35 yard touchdown run also got the Force on the board

September 3, 2004 – Ouch! West Georgia 22 Georgia Force 20
The Force lost a tough game to West Georgia after opening up a 20-8 lead into the 3rd quarter

Eddie Jackson (#34) got things started once again with an Interception returned 77 yards for a TD. Eddie has started the scoring for the Force in both games with interceptions for touchdowns.
Justin Reinsmith (#21) scored 2 touchdowns, posting 130 yards rushing for the game. Both touchdowns came on long breakaway runs for 42 and 57 yards.

West Georgia was able to wear down the Force in the second half, taking the lead with just 2:06 left in the game. It was a tough loss for the Force, but the team is ready to bounce back next week to get the winning going again.

Fox 5 Sports was at our game and had a great 5 minute piece on their 10pm news about the Force and homeschool football, that included footage of our game vs West Georgia.

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2004 Georgia Force Homeschool Football Team, Coaches and Cheerleaders

Below is the roster for the 2004 Georgia Force:

#………Name………………….Position
83….. Jeffery Blithe……….Lineman
93……Lee Boswell…………Receiver/D-Back
24……Blake Coughlin…….R-Back/Linebacker
78……Danny Formell……..Lineman
10……Caleb Hecox………..QB/Linebacker/R-Back
23……Daniel Hunter………R-Back/Linebacker
34……Edward Jackson……Receiver/Linebacker
71……Andrew Long……….Center/Lineman
21……Justin Reinsmith…..R-Back/Lineman
5……..John Kelton Jr……..D-Back/R-Back
98……Jordan Rice………….Lineman
94……Kazumasu Takikawa.Lineman
73……Daniel Tildon………….Lineman
3……..Neal Touchton………QB
4……..Mitch Welborn………Receiver/D-End
43……Andrew Auton………R-Back

2004 Georgia Force game results

Aug 27: Georgia Force 41 Barrow Christian Saints 8
Sept 3: West Georgia Rebels 22 Georgia Force 20
Sept 10: Georgia Force 46 Hill Academy 6
Sept 20: Georgia Force 39 North Georgia Falcons 32
Sept 24: Georgia Force 31 NCA Lions 16
Oct 1: Georgia Force 54 War Hill Warriors 14
Oct 9 NCC Crusaders 32 Georgia Force 20
Oct 15: Georgia Force 48 Barrow 18
Playoffs
Oct 22: #2 Georgia Force 42 #7 Barrow 0 (Round One)
Oct 30: #2 Georgia Force 41 #3 West Georgia 14(Semifinals)
Nov 6: GFL Championship Game
North Georgia Falcons 44 Georgia Force 10

August 27th, 2004 GEORGIA FORCE Wins over Barrow County 41-8

Georgia Force won its opening game against Barrow County with a commanding victory, winning by a score of 41-8.

Eddie Jackson (#34) returned an Interception 22 yards for a touchdown to get the scoring going early, within the first minute of the game. Justin Reinsmith (#21) led the team with 3 Touchdown runs, Rushing for 150 yards for the game. Mitch Welborn’s (#4) 10 yard Touchdown reception and Andrew Auton’s (#43) 35 yard touchdown run also got the Force on the board

The Georgia Force (Gwinnett) team is located in the Buford/Sugar Hill area. Call Coach Scott Willis at 770-531-1499 or 770-654-4569 for information. Email: scottwillis@forcehighschoolfootball.com or APPSTMTN@aol.com. Visit the Georgia Force website at: http://forcehighschoolfootball.com

September 3, 2004 – Ouch! West Georgia 22 Georgia Force 20
The Force lost a tough game to West Georgia after opening up a 20-8 lead into the 3rd quarter

Eddie Jackson (#34) got things started once again with an Interception returned 77 yards for a TD. Eddie has started the scoring for the Force in both games with interceptions for touchdowns.
Justin Reinsmith (#21) scored 2 touchdowns, posting 130 yards rushing for the game. Both touchdowns came on long breakaway runs for 42 and 57 yards.

West Georgia was able to wear down the Force in the second half, taking the lead with just 2:06 left in the game. It was a tough loss for the Force, but the team is ready to bounce back next week to get the winning going again.

Fox 5 Sports was at our game and had a great 5 minute piece on their 10pm news about the Force and homeschool football, that included footage of our game vs West Georgia.
September 4, 2004 West Georgia 22 Georgia Force 20
The Force lost a tough game to West Georgia after opening up a 20-8 lead into the 3rd quarter

Eddie Jackson (#34) got things started once again with an Interception returned 77 yards for a TD. Eddie has started the scoring for the Force in both games with interceptions for touchdowns.
Justin Reinsmith (#21) scored 2 touchdowns, posting 130 yards rushing for the game. Both touchdowns came on long breakaway runs for 42 and 57 yards.

West Georgia was able to wear down the Force in the second half, taking the lead with just 2:06 left in the game. It was a tough loss for the Force, but the team is ready to bounce back next week to get the winning going again.

Fox 5 Sports was at our game and had a great 5 minute piece on their 10pm news about the Force and homeschool football, that included footage of our game vs West Georgia.

August 28, 2004 CONGRATULATIONS!!!
GEORGIA FORCE Wins over Barrow County 41-8

Georgia Force won its opening game against Barrow County with a commanding victory, winning by a score of 41-8.

Eddie Jackson (#34) returned an Interception 22 yards for a touchdown to get the scoring going early, within the first minute of the game. Justin Reinsmith (#21) led the team with 3 Touchdown runs, Rushing for 150 yards for the game. Mitch Welborn’s (#4) 10 yard Touchdown reception and Andrew Auton’s (#43) 35 yard touchdown run also got the Force on the board

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Pictured are: Georgia Football League Executive Director Hank St. Denis; home-school Georgia Force coach Scott Willis; Chris Hendley, executive director of ticket sales for the Georgia Force (Arena Football League); and (AFL) Georgia Force General Manager Eddie Rockwell.

Force helps launch home-school football team

By Jackie Watson
Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo by Anthony Stalcup

The Georgia Force (Arena Football League) has donated its uniforms from last year to the Georgia Football League, a new home-school football program.
SUGAR HILL — Gwinnett’s first football team comprised of home-schooled boys will make its debut this season, but the team will have a strikingly familiar look. The team roster has yet to be filled and the boys haven’t even begun practice, but they’ve already caught the eye of the Georgia Force.
Officials with the Georgia Force have sponsored the team, which will bear the Force’s name, colors, logo and uniform. The team, comprised of boys ages 13-18 who are home-schooled or who belong to a Christian school devoid of a football program, will play with the Georgia Force’s away uniforms from last year. Chris Hendley, executive director of ticket sales and operations for the Force, was instrumental in making the partnership a reality and donating the uniforms to the squad.
“The Georgia Force provides a family-geared sport and I thought that would make a really outstanding partnership,” said coach Scott Willis, who is heading the Gwinnett team of home-school football players. “With the Georgia Force, it gives us an identity. It gives the young men that are playing on this football team a sense of community, a positive outlook that they’re being supported by the Force.”
The Georgia Force home-school team will be sporting the white, blue, and black uniforms when the season begins in August. Like other football squads, the team will have games on Friday nights. Unlike other teams, this squad will have a slightly different focus. “It is not just about football. It’s about teaching these young men about becoming Godly men,” said Willis.
A long time coming
As part of the Georgia Football League (GFL), a nonprofit program for home-schooled and Christian school boys with eight teams in different counties, including one in Barrow, the Georgia Force youth team will begin spring training in April and will kick off the season of tackle football this fall. Given the rise in Gwinnett youngsters who are home-schooled, the initiation of a football program is something Willis says has been a long time coming.
“This is something these boys have been waiting on for a long time. Football has never been an opportunity for home-schooled young men. There’s soccer, baseball and basketball, even sports for girls. But football has never been an opportunity,” said Willis, a home-school dad who played high school and college football and who has coached youth leagues in the county. “It gives them the opportunity to have that same experience they’d have in high school.”
Since the GFL is founded upon Christian principles, teams are formed with a purpose of giving teenage boys an educational experience in self-discipline, self-sacrifice, courage, hard work and commitment through the game of football.

Since the league’s inception last fall, the response to the new sports program has been tremendous.
“We now have eight teams that will begin practice in August. There is also the opportunity to play Christian schools,” said Hank St. Denis, GFL Executive Director and co-producer of the Southeast Home-school Expo, a curriculum show for home-schoolers.
Cheerleaders, fund raising will add excitement
Girls who are home-schooled or who attend a Christian academy without a cheerleading program aren’t going to be left out. Willis said a cheerleading squad is being put together to give girls the opportunity to participate.
“We felt there needed to be the opportunity for home-school girls to be involved,” said Willis, adding that his 11-year-old daughter Alexis will don pom poms in support of his team. “We have a variety of girls, mainly most of them are from home-school organizations. It gives these girls another opportunity that are in home-school coops and Christian academies to get out there and be involved with something like this.”
The cheerleading squad, being organized by women at Willis’ church, First Baptist Sugar Hill, will participate in fundraising to purchase uniforms in time for the season opener. The squad is also looking for more girls, ages nine and up, to participate.
The football team is already gearing up for its first fundraiser, sanctioned by the Georgia Force. The boys will be selling tickets to the Force’s April 18 game against Orlando. Half the proceeds from end zone tickets, being sold for $20, will go toward the team’s expenses. Although team members will pay a registration fee of $200, there’s equipment to purchase and other costs to cover, said Willis.
Registration to play on a home-school football team and cheerleading squad is ongoing through the summer, but team rosters are filling up fast.