Bogalusa High School has added a new sport. The Lumberjacks now have a powerlifting team.
Adam Brumfield started the powerlifting program at Varnado two years ago where he was also an assistant football coach. In that time, the school had three state champions and one state runner up.
Brumfield was named Bogalusa’s head coach in the summer of 2018 and is bringing powerlifting to BHS.
“It’s always exciting to start something new,” Brumfield said. “I like a few things about powerlifting. One, it gives the kids an opportunity to go out and compete and do something. Last year, Bogalusa started golf and it was nice to see some of these kids who had never participated or played golf do something like that.
“Powerlifting is something else that gives them something to do, and not only does it give them something to do, it helps them keep their body in shape. The stronger you are as an athlete, the better you’re going to be no matter what sport you play. In my opinion, powerlifting actually helps them in their other sports when they participate in it because it makes them a lot stronger. When you get kids that buy into the weight room, it helps them out no matter what they play.”
Bogalusa’s first powerlifting meet will be Saturday at 9 a.m. at Pope John Paul II. Franklinton is also in that meet.
The rules are simple. Your score is determined by the combined weight successfully lifted in squat, bench and deadlift.
Participants get three lifts each in squat, bench and deadlift with an opportunity to increase their score with every lift. Only your top successful lift in each category counts.
Three judges watch each lift, one in front and one on each side, to determine whether or not it is successful based on technique. Whether or not it is a good lift is based on the majority decision of the officials.
There are 11 weight classes. The boys’ weight classes go from 114 to super heavyweight while the girls are 97 through super heavyweight.
One of Bogalusa’s lifters competing at PJP today is Derek Keaton. Like his teammates, this will be his first powerlifting meet.
Keaton, who is a guard on the football team, talked about what he has learned in preparing to compete in powerlifting.
“Technique. I feel like if we get our good technique, we’re going to be good,” Keaton said.
Brumfield said they focus a lot more on technique in powerlifting and they make you do those lifts perfectly.
“Sometimes, when you’re in there in the weight room and everybody’s going, if you don’t go all the way down in a squat, sometimes it’s unnoticed or sometimes your technique can be a little off,” he said. “But when you go to a powerlifting meet, they’re going to make you get parallel on that squat, they’re going to make you go all of the way down. That’s hard for kids sometimes at first that aren’t used to that, but once they get the hang of it, most of time, by the time they get to regionals, they’re ready to go.”