RHS looks forward to rematch
Students share their excitement for tonight’s playoff game in Warner Robins.
Rome High School’s football team and their fans got on the road Thursday, making the 170-mile journey to Warner Robins to watch the semifinal game tonight.
The energy has been high this week as students hope Rome High School will bring home their third consecutive title ... but first the Wolves will have to beat Warner Robins High School, the team they beat 38-0 at last year’s state championship game.
Seven Rome High School students who will be on the road today to watch the showdown spoke about how they feel about this semifinal game.
“It’s just a lot of pressure” Alyse PalmerAskew, a senior cheerleader said. “The cheerleaders are trying to keep our boys’ heads in the game.”
She added that when the cheerleaders are on the sideline they have to keep a straight face, and even if things aren’t going their way, be uplifting and do their job.
“I am excited to cheer at this one,” Lilly Tye, a freshman cheerleader, said.
Kamara Parks, a senior band member, said she hopes the guys win another ring this year — her senior year — and is happy to be a part of it all.
“We try to cheer as loud as we can,” Parks said. “We really want to see the guys win.”
The students said they hope the rest of Floyd County comes along to support the Wolves. They’ve seen students from other schools in the stands cheering for Rome which really means a lot to the guys on the field, said Detaijha Daniel, a senior.
‘We try to cheer as loud as we can. We really want to see the guys win.’ Kamara Parks, Rome senior band member
It also means a lot when teachers and staff travel for the game, or if they can’t make it, to make sure the players know they are supported.
Palmer-Askew said that surrounding schools send their support via Twitter and other means whenever Rome makes it to state, which means a lot to her and other students.
Tye said her favorite part of game day is the fourth quarter when they know they are going to win.
Daniel’s favorite is the school day itself and being excited with her fellow students prior to the game.
The students said the energy can be felt from the other students and from the players as everyone gears up for Friday night football.
All schools in the city school system will be closed today to ensure safe traveling due to anticipated high traffic volume.
All of these students traveled with Rome High School last year when the championship game was snowed out at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
The students said everyone was there already — fans, students, coaches, players and bands, so they were all pretty upset to have to come all the way back to Rome.
They also recounted the first state championship Rome won in 2016 against Buford, 16-7 — a game PalmerAskew and Daniel said they both cried during.
Allon Ellis, a sophomore, said there was a lot of local support from fans who traveled to the Georgia Dome for that first championship game.
“Rome showed out, everybody left,” Ellis said.
The Rome Wolves will kick off at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Warner Robbins at 7:30 p.m. tonight in a semifinal game that will determine who goes to the state championship. Tickets may be purchased via the Go Fan website at https://gofan.co/app/ school/GA5278 or at Warner Robins. Tickets are $15 for adults.