There have been more than two decades worth of Fort Calhoun Gridiron Club Golf Scrambles, but Friday's was Zach Byrd's first as the Pioneers' head coach.
FCHS football supporters showed up in droves at River Wilds Golf Club for his program.
“We've got a full field,” Byrd said at the clubhouse north of Blair. “We've got 36 four-man teams here, so I feel really good about the turnout and everybody showing up.”
The 24th annual fundraiser benefits the football team and its players.
“There's things we need to replace,” Byrd said. “There's things we want to get for the kids — apparel, things like that for them.”
Rain and sprinkles made it through Washington County during the event, but the 1 p.m. shotgun start stuck. A prime rib dinner at Schwertley Hall in Fort Calhoun followed.
“I'm just excited to get to meet everybody and get things started this summer,” Byrd said before tee time.
Fort Calhoun football has a busy offseason ahead of it, highlighted by field turf installation the new coach is hopeful will be complete before the home opener in August. Workouts, weight room work, 7-on-7 games and camps are on Byrd's agenda, too, though.
Several aspects of that summer preparation have already began.
“Kids have been showing up to workouts pretty good,” the coach said. “I've been impressed with the effort we've had at workouts, and what we've been doing and the numbers we're getting there.”
It's an ongoing process.
“I'm trying to challenge those kids to keep those numbers there and keep going through especially as we start to get into the grind of the summer now,” he said. “But, yeah, when we're there we're doing a good job. We're focused with attention to detail.”
Byrd, a former Omaha Roncalli and state championship-winning Bennington assistant coach, looks forward to teaching his system and building personal relationships with the Pioneers as well.
“I'm excited about the steps we've taken,” he said. “And I'm looking forward to continuing to build that throughout the summer.”
First, though, the Gridiron Club played some golf and ate a prime rib dinner Friday afternoon and evening.
