The practice fields of Quakertown Community High School were buzzing with excitement for the 14th Annual Youth Football Camp. This free, two-day camp, open to Quakertown students in grades 1-8, creates meaningful connections between our high school football players and our younger students, who hope to one day play for the Panthers. Each August, two days are set aside for the Panther Football team to coach and mentor 100 students, running offensive and defensive drills to strengthen their skills and love for the game. I had the chance to sit down with Coach George Banas to get an inside look at this wonderful Quakertown tradition.
In his 16th year of coaching Panther Football, Coach Banas was proud of the work his players put into making the camp a lasting memory for the young athletes in attendance. “The goal is to create a strong connection between the district’s youth players and our high school football program. Coaches and players encourage our youth athletes to come to a Friday night football game, and we visit our youth players at their weekend games. They look up to our high school athletes, and we want them to aspire to be a part of this great program,” said Coach Banas. “These two days are all about having fun and the love of the game. Young athletes face a lot of pressure, and we want to create a culture of pride and integrity for the game and being productive members of society. So many of our students have gone on to play college football, and that’s largely the result of the culture we are creating here. It’s about building relationships, creating tradition, and passing that culture of hard work down to our next generation of players.”
And the players couldn’t agree more. When chatting with senior Brendan Gartland, an outside linebacker and running back, he recalled being part of the camp in his youth and the positive influence it had on him. He remembered being coached by senior Ed Vitner (2024 alumni) and how his mentorship at the camp inspired him to play. And the tradition continues, with Gartland volunteering his time this year to coach. “It’s just a good community to be a part of and play for. It means a lot to see our town show up every Friday and support our team,” said Gartland. “This camp is more than simply demonstrating drills; it’s about starting to build that culture of tradition now and giving our younger athletes a glimpse into the high expectations of the high school program and setting that precedent for excellence on and off the field as something these younger players want to aspire to.”
If the goal of the camp is to plant the seeds of Panther pride, it’s clear those seeds are already taking root, especially with first-grader Carter of Neidig Elementary. When asked what his favorite part of the camp was, Carter enthusiastically exclaimed, “Everything!” When asked if he would like to play for his high school someday, he proudly answered, “YES,” before we even finished asking.
For Carter and our young campers, Friday night football may still be a few years away, but the excitement and dreams to one day play on Alumni Field are already taking shape.
