Coach Ed Pilcher’s 2011 Bainbridge High School Bearcats football team will begin their annual camp with a practice in full pads Monday, August 1 at 12:01 a.m. at  their on-campus practice field.

August 1 is the first day Georgia High School Association teams can officially don pads.

“It is our tradition to have an early morning workout in pads the first day we can officially go into them,” coach Pilcher said.

During camp, which will end next Wednesday, the Bearcats players and coaches will stay in the school gymnasium.

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 28 the Bearcats will hold a pre camp passing session with seven visiting schools on their practice field. It will get underway at 4:30 p.m.

Visiting schools attending the passing camp will be Cairo, Thomas County Central, Chiles and Leon of Tallahassee, Fla, Eufaula, Ala., Northview of Dothan, Ala. and Abbeville, Alabama.

The Bearcats’ offense will be led by senior Quincy Fortson and sophomore Preston Norris.

Cairo and Thomas County Central both look to have new quarterbacks this season. For Cairo, it’s a familiar face—former Bearcat Steven Bench, who moved to the Syrupmakers along with his father, Steve Bench, over the summer. For TCC, it’s highly-touted sophomore Adam Choice, a quick, athletic rusher who impressed on his junior varsity squad last year.

Football season ticket sales will be announced soon, Decatur County Schools Athletic Director Stan Killough said.