Juston Lewis | Valdosta Daily Times Valdosta State head football coach Gary Goff takes a picture with campers at the conclusion of the youth camp. 

VALDOSTA –– There’s no rest for the weary. 

Valdosta State football concluded their youth camp Friday and now they are turning their attention to a new camp.

A summer filled with recruitment, preparation and camps for Valdosta State football will continue that trend with the TitleTown Showcase today. 

The Showcase is a day-long camp for quarterbacks and receivers that is hosted by the 2018 national champions. The event won’t be as hectic as the TitleTown Showdown earlier this summer with more than 800 campers in attendance. It will serve the same purpose though –– giving the Blazers a chance to see regional talent firsthand. 

“We have a lot of quarterbacks and receivers coming to our camp,” head coach Gary Goff said. “It’s structured a little bit differently with practices and film study throughout the entire day. I’m excited about that, It’s a chance for us to evaluate some really good players in the area.” 

The Showcase is the sequel to a camp that had plenty of young talent. The youth camp ran from Wednesday to Friday and featured community children learning from players and coaches.

“This was a lot of fun,” Goff said. “It was a lot of fun seeing these guys get out here and work and have some fun. We made it through the heat and I think they enjoyed popsicles almost everyday. It’s good to have the community’s kids around our program and some of our players be able to coach them during the summer.” 

Among those players were quarterback Ivory Durham and wide receiver Brian Saunds. The two interacted with campers on a personal level and coached the players throughout the camp. For Saunds, camps gives him a chance to interact with the players that look up to him on Saturday’s.” 

“It’s cool to give back to the community and it’s fun to work with the younger kids,” Saunds said. “I’ve been doing it my whole life and I enjoy the time spent with them … just being able to see a kid leave here learning one thing. It’s cool that I can make an impact on a kids life and he’ll forever remember that.” 

Camps help the Blazers grow during the summer in a different capacity than through hard-fought battle. They grow as leaders and mentally –– which is equally important to the teams overall success this fall. 

Now, they move on to the Showcase and the future of the program. 

Through the quarterback and wide receiver showdown the Blazers may be able to find the next Durham or Saunds. 

The camp will run from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the VSU Athletic Fieldhouse.