Updated October 18, 2005

Parking Info. for the Tattnall - FPD Game:   Tattnall Square has asked that all of the Vikings' faithful understand the limited number of parking spaces available for this week's Region 2-AAA matchup at Jack Baynes Field.  The front parking lot at the school's main entrance will be available for public parking, but there are only so many spaces, and there will be some direction for parking around the baseball field perimeter.  The back parking lot, nearest the soccer field, will not be available for public parking.  (This is the Golden Trojan booster club parking lot).  Late arriving vehicles may want to park on Waterford Drive, behind the softball field, and those choosing to do so can enter the stadium through a gate coming off at Waterford at 131 Waterford Drive.  Wesleyan Drive Baptist Church will also be offering a shuttle service back and forth from their parking lot across Wesleyan Drive.  As usual, the best parking and least obstructions will occur the earlier you arrive. (It is also Senior Night for the Tattnall football program.)  Kickoff is at 8:00 p.m.  To help with some of the parking dilemma, the Vikings football team will bus to and from Tattnall this Friday night.
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VFL Night at Final Home Game All of the members of the Viking Football League, FPD's elementary football league, will be recognized at halftime of the final home game of the year on October 28 vs. Mt.deSales.  Team coaches will be announced on the public address system, and the teams, dressed in their jerseys, will join their coaches at midfield during the recognition.  Viking Football League players and their parents will be admitted free of charge for the game, and they should proceed to the Admissions Gate nearest the Tennis courts to enter the stadium.   VFL players should wear their team jerseys!!!   Coach Moore is urging the coaches and players to get to the game early...the VFL players will run onto the field through the spirit tunnel and a banner before the Varsity team does the same.  VFL players should meet in the back of the endzone at 7:45 p.m. to participate in the pre-game run-through. The Viking football league has enjoyed tremendous growth in the last couple of years, and the league would love for you and your family to become a part of the Viking football family.  For more information on the VFL, click on the VFL link, located on the football page of www.fpdmacon.org.
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Veazey honored by Macon Telegraph Viking linebacker, Foster Veazey, has been named "Player of the Week" by the Macon Telegraph.  Veazey, a 6'1", 175 lb., sophomore, recorded 21 tackles in the Vikings 13-2 region victory over Stratford this past Friday night.  Foster also had 2 interceptions.  Telegraph Link
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Walker honored by Macon TD Club Viking defensive end, Zack Walker, has been named the "Lineman of the Week" by the Macon Touchdown Club.  Walker, a 6'1", 185 lb., Senior, recorded 20 tackles in the Vikings 13-2 region victory over Stratford this past Friday night.  Zack also had 2 QB sacks, as well as recording 2 of his 20 tackles for a loss.  Walker and his father, Keith, will be honored at the Touchdown Club's weekly meeting, as Florida coach Urban Meyer will be the keynote speaker for this week's dinner meeting.  Zack's recognition marks the 2nd time a Viking has been honored as the "player of the week" by the TD Club this year.
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Vikings pick final Team Captain!   Senior Zack Walker has been chosen as the fourth Team Captain for the 2005 Football team.  Feeling like it was time for the team to make a final statement about leadership before the Region schedule gets underway, Coach Moore allowed each team member to cast a ballot for what was described as "A consistent, powerful, positive presence."  Zack had a tremendous summer of preparation, and after recovering from knee injury last season, he has progressed into a leadership role for the defense.  Walker joins previously selected Captains Matthew Reed, Alex Thigpin, and David Anderson.
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Vikings on the air AGAIN!   ESPN Radio...105.5 "The Fan"....will be on campus Friday to carry the FPD-Stratford football game.  Game time is 8:00 pm, with Russell Deese at the helm calling the play-by-play.  This will mark the 2nd time the Vikings have been chosen as the Game of the Week for the Middle Georgia radio station.  Greg Moore will be a call-in guest on Thursday afternoon at 5:45 pm to preview the 1st region game of the year for both FPD and Stratford.
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Come Early to aviod parking concerns FPD is urging those planning to attend the remaining HOME games, Oct. 14 vs. Stratford and Oct. 28 vs. MDS, to please arrive early to help avoid last-minute parking problems on campus.  Several of the back parking lot spaces have been occupied by the high school construction project, and late-arriving spectators are experiencing difficulty finding a parking place on campus.  Calvin Drive, the school's entrance road, is a county maintained road, and the Bibb County Sheriff's Department will NOT allow parking along the drive.  There are NO PARKING signs along the entrance road, but several people, unaware of the Sheriff's instructions, have attempted to park there during the last couple of home games.  Cars parked along Calvin Drive will be towed!  Thank you for understanding and helping us work through the problems by arriving earlier than usual.  There is plenty to do on campus early....Tailgate parties and the Pep Rally begin at 6:30 every HOME game at the back entrance to the MAC.
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Senior Alex Thigpin Named TD Club's Player of the Week:   The Vikings' quarterback has been named the Macon Touchdown Club's Back of the Week for his performance last Friday night in FPD's loss to Westfield in Perry.  Thigpin finished the night 19/26 passing for 274 yards and 3 TD's.  He also was the team's leading rusher with 49 yards rushing on 18 carries and 1 TD. Thigpin's numbers were his best of the season in the passing game, and his season totals ballooned to 69/120 for 821 yards and 9TD's. Alex will be presented with a trophy by the TD Club, following a dinner and club meeting with Tony Barnhart, journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and ESPN commentator, serving as the guest speaker for the night. Thigpin's accomplishment marks the 8th time a Viking quarterback has been honored by the Touchdown Club in the last 5 years.
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Coach Moore to be weekly guest on 105.5 FM Viking football fans can listen in on ESPN radio, locally 105.5 FM, on Thursday, September 22.  Coach Greg Moore will be the weekly guest for the middle Georgia high school football show at 5:15 p.m.  The 105.5 talk show hosts have been talking all week about the Vikings' incredible 42-35 comeback victory over John Milledge.  They'll get Coach Moore's take on what happened via telephone interview.
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THE COMEBACK!   Scoring Summary Team Player Play Yards Time/Qtr. Score JMA Daniel White (Chris Hewette kick good) Run 4 8:55 - 1st 0-7 JMA Zack Cruce (Hewette kick good) Run 42 7:47 - 1st 0-14 JMA Ryan Cornell - Interception Return (Hewette kick good) Int. Return 41 7:16 - 1st 0-21 JMA Matt Wilkinson (Hewette kick good) Run 83 1:50 - 1st 0-28 JMA Cruce to Adam Harding (Hewette kick good) Pass 3 7:20 - 2nd 0-35 FPD Alex Thigpin to Jarrett Clubb (Jonathan Hollingsworth kick good) Pass 10 5:26 - 2nd 7-35 FPD Matthew Reed (Hollingsworth kick good) Run 2 1:24 - 2nd 14-35 FPD Thigpin to Clubb (Hollingsworth kick good) Pass 24 :57 - 2nd 21-35 FPD Thigpin (Hollingsworth kick good) Run 42 9:10 - 3rd 28-35 FPD Daniel Bridges Fumble Recovery (Hollingsworth kick good) Recovery 0 6:20 - 3rd 35-35 FPD Thigpin to David Anderson (Hollingsworth kick good) Pass 26 11:46 - 4th 42-35
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Coach Moore to attend Marines Graduation        Greg Moore's younger brother, Jay Lenderman, will graduate from Marine Boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, on Friday, September 9.  Jay entered the 13-week camp in April, and after 11 weeks into training, he suffered health problems that landed him on extended holding platoon duty in the medical unit for another 8 weeks.  After long waiting, and many long days and nights, Jay will graduate the 13-week boot camp on the 26th week of his stay at Parris Island.       Coach Moore's entire family is proud of Jay for hanging in there, refusing to give up when it looked like that might be the best thing to do.  They will all celebrate at Parris Island during the Vikings' open week.  (Great timing, Jay!)      Jay is a former Viking, graduating in the class of '97, and he once served as as statistician for older brother, Greg, in football and basketball.       "This is a great accomplishment for Jay, and we're proud of him.  I wouldn't miss being there for anything...I can't think of any greater calling than that of serving our country right now, and Jay's perseverance has made him ready to do so."
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Vikings 28  Fellowship Christian 8        In a game marred by a large number of penalties on both sides, the Vikings (1-1) finally established the upper hand in the third quarter to pull away from Fellowship Christian (1-1) this past Friday night.  FPD struck first in the opening quarter after Foster Veazey forced a turnover on Fellowship's first drive of the night, and the Vikings capitalized immediately.  After another defensive stop, FPD looked poised to take control, but a Viking miscue in its own endzone resulted in an FCS safety, and then the erratic play began on both sides.  FPD led 14-2 in the 2nd quarter, but penalties squelched any chances of further damage before the half.       The Vikings' defense smothered the FCS running game, allowing a total -19 yards rushing for the night.  The Paladins' lone score came late in the game, and overall the defense allowed just 157 total yards.  On offense, the Vikings were balanced in their attack, accumulating 121 rushing yards and another 155 through the air.  Castles,  Reed, and Thigpin all scored on the ground, and Hollingsworth caught a 43 yard pass from Thigpin for another score.      "It was great to get that first win, and I was pleased overall with the way we responded to the penalties.  Playing on the road can be challenging, and this was a good first look at overcoming obstacles, " Coach Moore said after the game.   Reaction mixed on Sprint Turf After playing football on the new age Sprint Turf Friday night, the reaction was mixed from players and coaches.  Coach Moore says, " I would guess the players were about 50-50 on who liked it and who didn't.  It's definitely different, and I'm sure the kind of cleats you would wear if you played on it every game would be a major consideration.  Several guys had a tough time getting good traction in their cleats, but then again, we play on natural grass all of the time."  It was the Vikings' first game ever played on synthetic turf.  Roswell High School is playing on the new surface for the just the second year, as many of the Atlanta area schools and complexes are installing the unique surface.  "We'll be glad to get back on the grass at home this week, " Moore said.   Viking Football League Registration Complete. The 2005 Viking Football League completed its registration, tryouts, and equipment issue day on Saturday, August 27.  Over 140 elementary students from FPD and other area public schools registered to form 6 Junior Division teams and 4 Senior Division teams.  Coaches will meet on Monday to draft their teams, and uniforms will be issued in the next week, as the VFL prepares to finalize its game schedule for the season.  Practices will begin this Thursday, and then teams will practice regularly throughout the season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, playing games on Saturday mornings.  The League is comprised of elementary football players and cheerleaders in grades 2-5, and the coaches are volunteer parents and friends.  The VFL commissioner is Mr. Bobby Gerhardt, father of Kai and Kaci, both of whom are FPD graduates.  To inquire about late registration, please call Bobby at 474-7086.   Friday is New Family Dinner Night This Friday's game versus Tiftarea will be the site of the annual "New Family Dinner" night.  Families who have joined FPD's family for the first time this school year are invited to come to Johnson Stadium early to enjoy pre-game dinner at the grill.  Last year, over 200 people attended the dinner, so please plan to come early.  New families can get a good look at GameDay activities on our campus, including the Tailgate party and pep rally behind the locker room at 6:45 p.m.  For more information on the New Family Dinner, please contact Annette Rogers at 477-6505, ext. 126.
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Vikings practice at SportsTowne ! Coach Moore moved a portion of Thursday's workouts to SportsTowne in Macon, near Starcadia.  The SportsTowne complex is the home of the Macon Knights Football team, and its indoor field is Sports Turf, similar to the playing surface the Vikings will encounter on Friday when they travel to Roswell to face Fellowship Christian.  "This was a good chance for our guys to get a feel for what the turf will feel like when they cut and move, so we took advantage of SportsTowne's generosity in hosting us."  Game time Friday is 7:30 pm, and directions can be found on the football webpage or in the high school office.   Back to Top   FPD vs. Fellowship Travel Itinerary: (Friday, August 26, 2005)   2:00    Team dismissed from School 2:15    Depart from back parking lot (C & H Bus lines) 4:00    Team Dinner at Golden Corral Steakhouse in Alpharetta (915 N.Pointe Dr., 678-867-2881) 5:00    Depart for Roswell Stadium 5:30    Access allowed to locker rooms, field, etc. 6:10    Team Devotional 6:30    First Group out for pre-game warmups 6:40    Second Group out for pre-game warmups 6:52    Third Group out for pre-game warmups 7:10    Return to Locker room 7:25    Captains to the field with officials 7:30    Kickoff....FPD vs. Fellowship Christian Post Game:    Pizza, drinks provided by Football parents. *Estimated time of return to back parking lot:  12:45 am   Back to Top   Middlebrooks Athletic Center closed on Friday Night. Parents, students, and spectators involved with the Friday night tailgate parties and pep rally will NOT be allowed to enter the MAC for restroom facilities.  EVERY restroom and locker room is occupied on Friday nights.  The visiting team is actually dressing in the gymnasium, so the Lobby restrooms will be closed as well.  Restroom facilities will be available at the stadium or in the Fine Arts Lobby.  The Fine Arts Lobby will close for use when the Spirit of the Vikings band and Vanguard come to the field for pre-game activities a little after 7:15 p.m.   Bridges doing well after Friday injury: Viking senior, Michael Bridges, is doing well after going through several precautionary tests on his head and neck.  Bridges went down early in the third quarter of Friday's game with Deerfield-Windsor when he took a knee to the helmet as he was attempting to make a tackle on the perimeter of the defense.  He was coherent, alert, and talking to the attending doctor and trainer throughout the exam on the field.  Bridges left the field on a stretcher, but was later released from the hospital to go home and rest.  Michael should return to practice by the middle of the week as the Vikings prepare for Fellowship Christian on August 26.   Webcast and Radio Network up and running. Friday nights at FPD have become quite a hit, and now alumni and friends all around the world can get in on the action.  Under the direction of Mr. Jim Leonard, the Vikings will be broadcasting all of this year's games via the internet.  Tripp Matthews, FPD '04, is the "Voice of the Vikings," and FPD students serve in various roles of color commentary, production, direction, remote cameras, etc.  The Viking Tailgate show begins every Friday night for Home games at 6:45 p.m.  Interviews with players, coaches, and students in the pep rally can be seen then, as well as an in-depth look at the upcoming contest.   Pressbox Renovation complete. The pressbox renovation project in George S. Johnson Stadium is complete.  New exterior siding, a new roof, field-side awning and first-class interior enhancements such as carpet, paint, pictures, hospitality counters, lighting, etc. have all been made possible through memorial gifts honoring the late Mrs. Eleanor Johnson.  Mrs. Johnson passed away in the spring of 2004, and her family wished to honor her memory by renovating the pressbox in the stadium she loved so dearly.  Mrs. Saynor Ponder and Mrs. Dallis Jones brought the project to FPD Headmaster, Gregg Thompson, in the spring of 2005, and all work began in June.   Alumni Football Players doing great. Justin Lyles is at Georgia, Colby Maddox is at Valdosta State, Patrick Jackson is at Middle Tennessee, Alex Gainey is at Jacksonville State, and Trevino Pope is at Coastal Carolina.  All four are doing very well.  Justin has reached new personal highs in strength and conditioning goals, as he continues to work as a back-up on the UGA defensive line. He wears #95 for the Dawgs, and he dressed for some Home games last year. Colby is learning the complexities of the high-powered Valdosta offensive system, adjusting to the speed at which it all happens for a collegiate quarterback.  He says he really enjoys it, though it is tough, and he thinks he made a good decision.   Patrick has been moved to the # 3 spot on the depth chart at MTSU.  He has enjoyed a great summer camp, and feel more and more comfortable with the Blue Raiders' offense.  MTSU opens the season at Alabama in early September.  Patrick has the chance to travel and dress in Tuscaloosa for that contest.  Alex reports that all is going "great" at Jacksonville State.  The Gamecocks are preparing for their season opener with Furman.  He too is trying to learn a new system of many more plays, but he says he is coming along well as he learns.  He has been nicknamed "Hands" by his teammates and coaches.  That should tell us how well he is doing.  Trevino recently decided to transfer to Coastal Carolina.  Trevino had transferred to the University of Alabama this past spring from Troy State University.  While at Alabama, Trevino quickly moved up the charts, ending the spring as the second leading rusher in the A-Day game.  No recent news has surfaced on how things are going at Coastal this fall.   New numbers on the field. Several people comment on the way the field looks during the home games every season.  The Vikings have changed the field stencil used to paint the numbers on each side of the field to use the stencils used by NFL teams.  Some of you may have noticed, but most of you probably did not.  Now you know.   New accommadations for the Visitors. The high school construction project on the 200 building has impacted the dressing facilities for the visiting teams in the 2005 season.  The visitors will actually dress in the Middlebrooks Athletic Center on the gym floor and visitors bleachers.  Restroom and shower facilities will be available in the girls' locker rooms.  The Zack Morton addition to the MAC will become the visitors' permanent dressing facility when that project is completed. Back to Top   Spring 2005 Family Picnic @ George S. Johnson Stadium Spring practice 2005 concluded with the first annual Football Family Picnic.  Over 400 players, parents, cheerleaders, coaches, and friends enjoyed hot dogs, chips, and drinks in George S. Johnson Memorial Stadium.  The Vikings completed 8 days of spring practice on Thursday, May 19.  Coach Moore and staff are already busy trying to fill some big holes on both sides of the ball.  Please click on the attachment below to see a video collage of some of the work taking place this past week in Viking Football." Click here to watch highlights of the Vikings Spring Practice.  Back to Top   Summer Football Dates *FPD Football Summer Strength / Conditioning Program Dates & Times:   Beginning Date:    Monday, June 6   7 - week program, with workouts at 8:15 am or 6:15 pm. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday.   Players report on Monday, July 25th for practice.   Commitment Award winners must lift 6 weeks . Elite Award Winners must lift all 7 weeks of the program. Players must lift a minimum of 4 weeks for Super Viking consideration.   * All 4 days of a workout week must be attended for that week to count. Back to Top   Spring Football Dates (May 5-6:  Equipment Issue) (May 10:  Mandatory Players' meeting @ 3:30 pm) (May 11-13; May 16-20:  Practice on the field @ 3:45 pm) * May 16:  Mandatory Physical Exams for 2005-2006 student-athletes * May 19:  Football Parents' Organizational meeting in Cafeteria @ 6:00 pm   Back to Top   FPD senior quarterback Colby Maddox '05 was honored by the Macon Touchdown Club as the 2004 "Back-of-the-Year."  Maddox led the Vikings to the State Championship game as a senior and established school single season records of 3,003 yards and 28 TD's.  Colby also holds the single game record of 378 yards in the State Championship game.  He finished his career with 5,729 yards, 53 TD's and 324 completions (ranking second in all categories.  The Touchdown Club also honored Zach Morton '04, who passed away in December 2003.  (See picture below.)       Colby Maddox '05 and Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville at the Macon Touchdown Club.          King Kemper '90 speaks as Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville presents Colby Maddox '05 the 2004 Macon Touchdown Club "Back-of-the-Year" award.          Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville presents Karla and Johnny Morton an Auburn football to honor their son Zach '04 at the Macon Touchdown Club.
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2004 FPD Football Banquet Awards
Award			Player
Offensive MVP:			Colby Maddox & Alex Gainey
Defensive MVP:			Matthew Reed
Most Outstanding Offensive Back:			Casey Adams
Most Outstanding Defensive Back:			Will White
Coach's Attitude Award Winner:			Alex Thigpin
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman:			Michael Duggan
Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman:			Jake Griffin
Special Teams MVP:			Daniel Stokes
Scout Soldiers Award:			Blake Yaughn & Brett Bledsoe
"Kaiser" Leadership Award:			Taylor Maddox
Mid-GA Ambulance Free Enterprise Academic Award:			Jake Griffin
Team Captains			Casey Adams, Colby Maddox, Jake Griffin, Matthew Reed
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GISA COACHES ASSOCIATION CLASS AAA ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAM   2004 PLAYER SCHOOL POSITION GRADE Jack Lobertini Westfield K JR Chance Cown George Walton OL SR Chad Chadbourne Riverside Military LB SR Broderick Stewart Riverside Military TE SR Carl Robinson Riverside Military RB SO Dylan Ennis Tattnall Square OL SR Adam Smith Mount de Sales LB SR Bo Baggarly Stratford OL SR Trevor Jenkins Stratford DT SR Watson Argo Stratford QB SR John Meyer Stratford RB JR Marten Basta Stratford WR SR Michael Lemon Stratford OL JR Casey Adams First Presbyterian RB SR Will White First Presbyterian WR SR Colby Maddox First Presbyterian QB SR Alex Gainey First Presbyterian WR SR Jonathan Siskey Deerfield/Windsor RB SR Aaron Shivers Southland RB SR Chase Lightner Southland FB SR Cory Hinkle John Milledge FB/NG SR Bradley Pittman John Milledge OL/LB SR Owen Culpepper Westfield OL/DT SR Josh Frenchko Westfield RB/LB SR Grant Walker Deerfield/Windsor QB SR Will Reese Deerfield/Windsor WR SR Kyle Hendrickson Southland TE SR Jimmy McBride Sherwood Christian LB SR Coach of the Year:  Mark Farriba, Stratford
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GISA Region 2-AAA All-Region Football Team   Player   Position Class School 41 A. Smith FB/LB Sr. MDS 2 E. Oetter RB Sr. MDS 74 F.Perez OL/DL Sr. MDS 77 A.Shilkoski OL/DL Jr. MDS 7 D.Renfroe RB Jr. Tattnall 18 B.Gordon QB/DB Jr. Tattnall