CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — Adam Vandiver laughed at the memory of his first experience on the new artificial playing surface at Gordon Lee High School.
The cat-quick junior running back and his Trojans teammates practiced for the first time on the AstroTurf field Monday in preparation for tonight’s home opener against Dade County. What they found was, at least in Vandiver’s experience, almost too much of a good thing.
“I was practicing yesterday and fell on my face a couple of times because you can cut so quickly,” Vandiver said. “I’ll get used to it over time and I know we’re going to love it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The school did not install the field for Vandiver and his twin-like fellow running back Klay Durham, but its fast surface will play right into their hands. Each is 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds and each runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, speed that will be used early and often this season as the Trojans look to return to the Georgia Class A playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
If last week’s opening 25-7 win at Silverdale Baptist Academy is any indication, the two may become one of the most prolific duos in school history. They combined for 206 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries against the Seahawks as they ran inside and outside with great success.