THOMASVILLE — When preparing for the Rose City Rumble earlier in the year, Thomas County Central head football coach Justin Rogers was asked what his message to the Yellow Jacket fans was. He made it short, sweet and clear. “Show up and show out, baby”, Rogers exclaimed.
Well, the Yellow Jacket faithful took that to heart. Not only did they show up in the thousands for the game against Thomasville, but they have showed up in droves across the state all year.
The latest Central take over was four hours away in Marist. The trip was long, but viewers would never know it.
‘We’ve played on the road, but we haven’t played a road game,” said Rogers. “Rome, it’s a pain in the butt logistically to get there, but when that balls kicks off if I had closed my eyes I’d have thought I was at the Nest. and last week when we played at Marist, same thing.”
Marist’s own broadcast crew discussed how loud the Central fans were throughout the game and mentioned how much the home game felt like an away game.
Even before the game fans could hear the Central faithful with horns blaring and cowbells ringing. Rogers and the team took a walk around the field as they do before every game. Rogers said that, despite the stands being empty, he could still hear the fans outside the stadium ready to get in.
“Man, that was one of the coolest things I’ve experienced in coaching,” Rogers said.
The game is where the fans truly shined. Broadcasters were barely audible throughout the game due to the crowd noise and Rogers described the fans as active participants, having a very real effect on the game.
“I think we’ve created a hostile environment on the road. Our fans have really embodied that twelfth man mindset and they are truly active participants,” Rogers said. “You got Marist to have three false starts, a team that prides themselves on discipline. That ain’t nothing but the fans.”
Kennedy McCurdy, a Central fan whose brother Alex Ward plays offensive line for the Jackets, was at the game against Marist and explained why it’s so important that Central shows the schools up north how TCC does it in South Georgia.
“There is a running joke that the greater high schools of Atlanta, there’s not a lot of respect for teams outside of Atlanta, especially down south in rural Georgia,” McCurdy said. “So, I think it’s really important for us and a lot of the fan base to prove that we do the real thing in rural Georgia. You may not respect that up there, but we do the real thing and you’re going to see it and we’re going to show up and we’re going to be loud and you’re going to see what it’s all about.”
There is also a generational component to the fan support. Many of the young men who are playing for the Yellow Jackets have fathers and grandfathers who wore the blue and gold as well.
Starting center Owen Petrey, according to McCurdy, wears his dad’s jersey number, 57. Petrey’s father was a part of the 1996 Central state championship team.
McCurdy, who traveled to Marist with her husband and two kids and plans to go support the Jackets on December 12, described the crowd at Marist as “Central dominant” saying, “It was Marist’s field, but it was Central’s stadium.”
There is no question that the Thomas County Central fans will be out in full force for the state championship game. At the time of writing, TCCHS has reported that they have filled five charter buses to transport fans and are working on getting a sixth. The school will be shut down on the 12 and 13 due to the volume of students that have to travel to Atlanta for the game.
“I think it’s going to be a home takeover again,” McCurdy said.
Those who want even further proof of the overwhelming support this Yellow Jackets team has received, look no further than highschool.si.com. Their Georgia Player of the Week vote includes Central running back Trey Brenton, who had 29 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown against Marist on Friday night. At time of writing, Brenton leads the polls with 76.35% of the votes and 649 total votes. The next closet vote getter is Malachi Miller of Cedar Grove, who has 84 votes.
“These kids feel that. It’s almost like you’re embracing them and giving them a hug,” said Rogers about the incredible fan support. “It’s truly special the community we’ve got.”