Plenty of Central Georgians made the trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday to cheer on three Central Georgia teams playing for football state championships.
The fans have been through it all with Peach County High School, Warner Robins High School, and Northside Warner Robins High School and hoped to see their teams come out with wins on the big stage.
“Overall, they came together as a whole this year, and here they are again making it happen,” said Sheldone Almond, a fan of the Peach County Trojans.
His team was looking for redemption after falling short the season before.
“I think everyone overrated them the year before,” Almond said.
The Trojans were the early game on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop Central Georgia fans of the other two schools from showing up in droves for the 1 p.m. start.
Pearlie Gray was one of those fans from Warner Robins who said she was excited to see all three teams compete because of her connections all across Central Georgia.
“I graduated from Perry High School but I’m so excited for Warner Robins High School, Northside, because that’s where I live, and Peach County because I have family there,” Gray said.
Others like Trojan fan Derrick Golphin recognized that they were cheering for their own team, but wouldn’t mind seeing any Central Georgia team pick up a win in the Benz.
“It’s awesome,” Golphin said. “We’re representing the Peach County Trojans, but you know, 478 for life. I want Peach County, Warner Robins, and Northside to win.”
Of course, there were alumni in the crowd like Sam Cherney, who won championships with Northside High in 2006 and 2007. He said it was certainly different watching the game from the other side, but recognized how the community came together to represent Central Georgia strongly despite the rivalries that normally accompany the three teams.
“You know, these kids battle it out all year long,” Cherney said. “They play each other. They grew up together and it’s just good to see Central Georgia just as a family coming together and all supporting each other. You know everybody’s up here wanting to get a state championship.”