BROWNSTOWN — Sawyer Brown and Eli Hutchinson said they enjoy playing football at Brownstown, and with the 2022 season just around the corner, the BCMS students worked to improve their football skills this week.

They were among the 95 boys who attended the camps. The seventh- and eighth-graders worked at the middle school, and the fifth- and sixth-graders worked at the 56ers camp at Blevins Memorial Stadium.

Braves head coach Reed May said the middle school’s first game is with Corydon Central on Aug. 18, a day before the varsity Braves open their season against Corydon, so it was important that the seventh- and eighth-graders worked hard this week.

May said he was pleased with the turnout.

“Those are great numbers. When we get to high school, we like to average around 15 per class,” he said. “I always like to have 25 in each class in the younger ages, then we’ve got a good chance of having 12 to 15 when they get to high school. You always have some that drop out. Hopefully, the 25 will stick with it, and that would be great for the high school level.”

Brown is going into his eighth grade season, and Hutchinson will be a seventh-grader.

Brown works at center on offense and end on defense and said he was working on his blocking and tackling skills at the camp.

“I like to play offense,” he said. “I like that it is good exercise, and I’m with my friends and all of that.”

Brown also plays baseball and played on a travel team this summer.

Hutchinson quarterbacked and played safety in the 56ers program last fall.

“I love playing with my teammates. I love the sport of football,” he said. “I like to play quarterback. I like offense better. My favorite play is one of the passing plays. On defense, I want to prevent them from scoring or getting a first down. We want to make them turn the ball over.”

He said he has confidence in his passing ability, and he wants to play football as long as he can.

May said this is the seventh-graders’ first chance to play against other teams, and the coaches handed out equipment to the players in both camps Monday night.

“In the spring, we had a 56er camp and a middle school camp run by the high school coaches,” May said. “Now, the camps are run by the middle school coaches and the 56er coaches. In the 56ers camp, we’re teaching all the different techniques, and once they start up Aug. 6, they’ll start putting them in positions and stuff like that.

“At all levels, 56ers and middle school run our offense and our defense,” May continued. “It’s not as complicated (as high school). They learn the things we do at that level, so once they get to high school, they know the basic fundamentals, techniques and plays.”

Thaddeus Stidam, an incoming fifth-grader, said he attended the 56ers camp to work on his football skills because he wants to play football.

“I like playing football,” he said. “I played football in Seymour, and I’m going into fifth grade, so now I can play with the 56ers. I like both offense and defense. I like to carry the ball.”

During a water break, Stidam said, “We’re doing different drills. We just did a drill where we practiced tackling.”

Superstars for the high school players will be Friday night. Their competition is made up of bench, squat and clean weightlifting, running a 40-yard dash and a 30-yard backward dash and the T test.

The middle-schoolers will be involved in some type of scrimmage, and the 56ers do punt, pass and kick competition.

“It’s a fun night for everybody,” May said.

He said a picture day for all teams, 56ers through varsity, will be held Aug. 13 at Blevins Memorial Stadium, beginning at 10 a.m.