In high school, the wonderful world of sports is wide open. Beginning this school year, Gainesville High School added riflery to its list of varsity athletic teams.

Lt. Frank Hernandez oversees the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Gainesville High School. In its first year, the Gainesville High JROTC program has brought with it riflery - a sport that requires patience and lures sharpshooters with potential college scholarships.

The Georgia High School Association recognizes riflery as a sport, just like football, basketball or volleyball. But instead of using bats, balls or hoops, the sport uses high-end precision air rifles, pellets, safety gear and targets.

Hernandez said several schools, including North Georgia College & State University and Mercer University, offer full riflery scholarships in conjunction with the schools' ROTC programs. He also said this year, Columbus University has a brand new riflery program and is giving away partial and full scholarships to high-scoring shooters, who aren't required to participate in ROTC.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program also offers numerous $1,000 scholarships each year. Hernandez said shooters are aware of the lucrative opportunities the sport can provide.

"We always talk about scholarships," he said. "There are kids who want to do it for scholarships, but most want to do it because it's something different.

"And it's pretty safe," Frank Hernandez said, knowing some parents might be leery of their teen handling a gun. "I'm the range officer and keep the rifles under lock and key."

There are seven students on Gainesville's new rifle team, said Chris Hernandez, a senior JROTC cadet at Gainesville High School and son of Frank Hernandez. Chris is the captain of the riflery team and said he wanted to be on the team to try something new.

Also, students must make a perfect score on the riflery safety test to be eligible for the team

"I love it because it's a time to calm down and focus," he said. "It calms you down mentally and physically."

Chris said shooters avoid sugar and caffeine during the season, which runs from January to early spring.

"Sugar and caffeine make you shaky, which can throw off your aim," he explained.

Frank Hernandez said like with any other sport, practice makes perfect.

"Everybody has to come in with the right frame of mind. A lot of this is mental, keeping your heart rate down," he said.

For two hours every Monday through Thursday, a glimpse inside the Gainesville High School reveals seven students standing, kneeling or lying on their bellies with guns in hand and eyes on the target.

Chris Hernandez said he's looking forward to the JROTC moving to the current Gainesville Middle School building on Woods Mill Road in August once the new Gainesville Middle opens off Jesse Jewell Parkway. He said as much as he loves shooting, he could do without having to break down and set up all the tables and chairs in the cafeteria each practice.

In its first year, the Gainesville riflery team met its goal of placing second out of six teams in its North Georgia area subgroup and making it to the regional playoffs.

And boys weren't the only ones who helped the fledgling Gainesville High rifle team to exceed its expectations this first year.

Two girls, Lauren Weaver and Renee Shealy, joined Toderick Williams, Noe Galvan, Alex Uscanga and Will Coggin in shooting competitions.

Frank Hernandez said Weaver's inspiration came from watching the Union Grove High School riflery team in McDonough break national scoring records and take home the national championship last year. The team was made up of four girls who have been shooting together since ninth grade.

"That's what we're trying to chase," he said. "We're trying to be as good as them."