Are You Ready For Some Football Reading?

As we begin another football season, I wanted to promote my inspirational football fiction book series available on Amazon.  This series follows the life of Colton Preston who grew up as a preacher's kid with a love for playing football.  Follow his journey through these three books.  

BOOK #1

PASSING TOWARD THE PRIZE

Coach Turner leaned forward and looked directly at Colton. 

“Look here Preston. You have to decide if you are going to be a leader or a quitter. A leader FINDS a way to lead. A quitter doesn’t bother to try. It’s easy to quit. Don’t pick the easy way.”

This is not the way Colton thought his high school football days would turn out for him. He is in the Class of ’82 at Tompkins County High School in the small town of Tompkinsville, Georgia. His father moves them to a new church in Savannah, Georgia. He misses his friends and his girlfriend, Belle, who are now hundreds of miles away. 

Colton also finds himself on a football team that clearly does not want him there. Starting over and dealing with these changes are difficult for any age but for a 15-year-old preacher’s kid, it adds to the challenges he faces. He is not immune to the consequences of sin and the need for forgiveness. Colton will have to trust God that all things will work together for good.

If you loved “Facing the Giants” and “Remember the Titans” you will root for Colton Preston.

Available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074WGKN9B

BOOK #2 

FOR A GAME SUCH AS THIS

It is estimated that over 4,000 women play tackle football in the United States.

Carrington Preston loves football and wants to play but – she’s a girl.

Carrington wants to do more than watch her football team on the sidelines.

“Dad…I have a crazy idea,” Carrington says. “I want to try out for the football team!”

Carrington begins her journey from the sidelines to the football field as she joins the Davidson High School football team.

Her dream of playing football is not an easy path as she must summon the courage of Esther to overcome challenges on and off the field. A shocking school shooting in the cafeteria changes the course of her life. The tragedy tests her faith and resolve to pursue her dream of playing football.

How will she respond when the National Football League decides to launch a women’s professional league?

Available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6742TB4

BOOK #3 

AUDIBLE TO THE PROMISED LAND

Colton Preston’s life has revolved around football. He played in high school, college and the pros. His past brings him back to his old high school to be their football coach and end the state’s longest losing streak. He faces a huge task to rebuild the Tompkins County High School football program.

Once Colton has his team heading in the right direction, his star quarterback decides to come out that he’s gay on social media which rocks the team and the town of Tompkinsville, Georgia.

Colton must find a way to support his quarterback and unite the team.

He is conflicted but his wife, Belle, reminds him of his own past.

"Colton, someone has to do this. Someone has to be a leader. Remember what your old high school coach at Westside told you?"

Colton remembered what Coach Turner had said. He was ready to quit when he walked into Coach Turner's office that day. The old coach must have known what Colton was thinking. He pointed at Colton and said:

"Look here Preston. You have to decide if you are going to be a leader or a quitter. A leader FINDS a way to lead. A quitter doesn't bother to try. It's easy to quit. Don't pick the easy way.”

How will Colton find a way to lead the team and the town through the challenges ahead?

Available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCXLCHH9

Football Friday Night Week 1

The 2026 Georgia High School Football season kicked off last week.  Let's take a look at how my teams fared in their openers:

Warner Robins 34, Veterans 23
Game Summary:

Warner Robins trailed 17-7 in the first half and didn’t lead until Chandler Dyson’s 43-yard run for a 20-17 edge with 10:09 left. Dyson rushed for 105 yards. X’Zavier Cannon had 125 all-purpose yards. Warner Robins held Veterans to less than 125 yards of total offense. EJ Adeside had three tackles for loss and scored on a 44-yard reception. Alijah Alexander had four tackles for loss, three QB pressures and a fumble recovery and scored on a short run. 

Comments:

Warner Robins allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns and another long return deep into their end of the field.  They need to tighten up on the special teams.  I'm sure they are working on it this week.  Otherwise, they did a good job hanging around and getting the win.  

This Friday:  vs. Northeast Macon (1-0).  Northeast won their opener with a 39-0 shutout of Westside Macon.  Northeast has never beaten Warner Robins in 24 meetings.  Warner Robins won their last meeting in 1999 (35-0).  The closest meeting with in 1991 when Warner Robins edged Northeast 6-0.  I was at that game and it was quite a defensive game.  

Villa Rica 29, Alexander 27
Game summary:

Villa Rica kicked a late field goal to go up 29-20 with 1:06 left, but Alexander immediately answered with a kickoff return touchdown to cut it to 29-27. Alexander recovered the subsequent onside kick, but turned the ball over on a chaotic final play with laterals as time ran out.

Comments:

Michael Hilbert picked up his first win as head coach.  Very close and competitive game in their opener.  Let's see if they can keep it going against Hiram this week.

This Friday:  at Hiram (0-1).  Hiram opened against Cartersville and were demolished 48-0.  Villa Rica leads the all-time series 6-5.  Hiram won the last meeting in 2019 by a score of 42-3.

Fitzgerald 22, Clinch County 13
Game summary:

Clinch County, traditionally a running team, was held to 21 rushing yards. Traviian Miller was 10-of-20 passing for 188 yards. Clinch stayed in the game until Fitzgerald, the No. 2 team in Class 2A, scored a touchdown in the final two minutes. Next: Friday vs. Jeff Davis (1-0)

Comments:

The Panthers played tough with Fitzgerald.  They just needed a few breaks or they would have won this one.  

This Friday:  vs. Jeff Davis (1-0).  Jeff Davis defeated Vidalia 37-0 in their opener.  Clinch County is 2-7 in all-time meetings against Jeff Davis.  They last met in 1977.  Jeff Davis won that meeting 63-0.  Incidentally, I watched the 1976 game when the Panthers won a thrilling 7-6 game to qualify for the playoffs.

Faith vs. Reality

I grew up believing in having faith and trusting God. I have heard hundreds of sermons about how if we just have faith the size of a mustard seed that we can move mountains. I can’t say that I’ve seen that happen personally.

I want to have faith and believe the impossible but am I also setting myself up for disappointment when my faith doesn’t match the reality of the result? What do I do when I believe but then the result isn’t what I was believing for?

I remember the “name it and claim it” people. If you have enough faith, God will give you what you ask for. The only reason that you don’t get it is because of a lack of faith.

B.S.

That’s not how it works. Faith and believing doesn’t always give you the results you are asking for. Sometimes you don’t get what you want. Even worse, sometimes you get the opposite of what you were believing that you were going to get. What then?

This morning I prayed and believed in the result. It didn’t happen. I sit here disappointed. I am disappointed in myself and in my faith. I’m not mad at God as most would be. I just don’t understand what He’s doing or why. Unfortunately God is under no obligation to tell us. We just go through this blindly.

When faith does not lead to the outcome we hoped for, it creates a deep spiritual and emotional shock. Some people think that faith guarantees an answer if you believe hard enough while others argue that true faith is about trusting a higher purpose rather than treating God like He’s a vending machine.

I think the important lesson to learn here is to have faith in God and not in the results.

God knows what He’s doing even if we don’t. I may be sitting here pouting because God didn’t match up the results to my faith but what can I possibly do about it now? Regardless of how mad I could get, it won’t change the result. So where does that faith leave me now and in the future?

I honestly don’t know. I need some time to myself and some soul searching. I have to get to the place where I can be okay with the times where my faith doesn’t meet the results I had expected. When our expectations are not met, it can mess with our emotions but we have to regroup and allow ourselves time to process it.

I’m not happy right now but I will be okay. I have been through this before. It’s not the first time and it won’t be my last. I feel like when Jesus asked the disciples if they wanted to leave after hearing some difficult teaching. Peter answered with “Lord, to whom should we go? You have the words to eternal life.”

That sums it up. We either keep trusting in God or we don’t.