DOUGLAS, Ga. — A new post-graduate basketball program in south Georgia is giving recent high school graduates a chance to spend a year developing their skills while maintaining NCAA eligibility and earning college credits at South Georgia State College.

Flight 88 Elite is named after late NFL star Demaryius Thomas and was founded by Paul Williams, the basketball coach who first met Thomas when he was a 9-year-old growing up in Georgia, and Roger Whitehouse, a longtime friend.

Honoring a legacy

“We had nine players and I can still see him sitting in the bleachers with that ball he kept throwing up and down,” Williams said. “He kept looking at me and I was on my cell phone. I just happened to look over there and he had that same smile, he didn’t say much. I went over to him and I was just like ‘I’m gonna put you on our team. If you mess up, I’ll play with four players.’ Again, he just smiled, never caught an attitude with me. I didn’t know it at that moment, but that smile changed my life.”

Whitehouse said the program was Thomas’s dream.

“We’ve known each other for a long time and I knew this was Demaryius’ dream because Paul used to talk about it all the time,” Whitehouse said. “About a year ago... we’ve been talking about it for about three years and I finally just said dude lets do it. That’s when we started to hit the trail and now here, we are.”

Program structure

Players receive a meal plan and dormitory housing at South Georgia State College. The program will have its own row of rooms in the dormitory.

“Like I said, we couldn’t do this without South Georgia State College. Everybody is just buying in and the main purpose is not for us; it’s for the younger generation,” said Williams.

The daily schedule includes 5 a.m. runs and calisthenics, followed by 100-200 shots in the gym. Players then attend classes before returning for three hours of practice at 3 p.m., Whitehouse said.

Player perspective

Former Cairo Syrupmaker, CJ Hammonds, said the program offers a nontraditional path to college basketball.

“I just see it as an opportunity to grow as a player before I make the big step to go to a JUCO, DII or DI college,” Hammonds said. “I feel like with the tournaments that we’re going to play in around the county I can get recognized and be able to make a big step next season.”

Whitehouse said success means placing all players in a collegiate program after one year.

“The success of this group, this organization is to give them an opportunity that they weren’t originally able to get,” Whitehouse said. “So, a year from now? I want to be able to recruit 23 more kids because that means all our guys went off to their appropriate schools.”

First season details

Three south Georgia players are on the inaugural roster: Jeffery Hicks from Fitzgerald, CJ Hammonds from Cairo and A.J. Franklin from Mitchell County.

The team will host several tournaments and individual matchups at the Coffee Douglas Rec-Center starting in the fall. They will also travel across the country participating in other tournaments.

Flight 88 Elite is a nonprofit organization that runs on donations. The first season begins Aug. 14.

If you would like to donate, click here.

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