‘Big Blue’ community gives support despite distance from Floyd County
It’s 157 miles from Model High School to Mercer University’s Five Star Stadium.
Blue Devil fans would have driven 10,000 miles if that’s what it took to see the Model boys soccer team play for the Class AA state championship on Wednesday against Toombs County.
The No. 1-ranked Blue Devils, unbeaten on the season at 21-0-1 going into Wednesday’s contest, warmed up for the state title game under the bright middle-georgia sun with hundreds of Model fans and supporters already filling the stadium’s western stands.
It’s been a magical month for the Model community and its soccer programs, as both the boys and girls teams made deep runs in the state tournament.
The No. 1 Lady Blue Devils finished the year 20-2, just missing a chance to play for a championship after falling to Mount Paran Christian in the state semifinals. The Blue Devils went one step further, beating Providence Christian in the final four to advance to the championship game for the first time in program history.
However, Toombs County upset the Blue Devils 2-0 in the title match, ending Model’s season at 21-1-1.
Understandably, there has been a palpable sense of excitement around Floyd County for the past few weeks.
“I’ve seen as we’ve moved through the playoffs that it’s been more than just the Model community that’s been coming to our games,” Model High School principal Kevin Strickland said. “There have been a lot of people from surrounding schools and even surrounding counties that have come out to support our soccer teams. This week, I was in a group text with the other principals in our county and they were all encouraging us to bring home a championship to Floyd County. It’s been pretty special.”
Rachel and Robert Marshall, parents of senior midfielder Elijah Marshall, said that a large group of parents was planning to drive to Macon early Wednesday afternoon, but after seeing
the team off on the buses that morning, some of them decided to head down a few hours earlier than they had scheduled.
“We just thought, ‘We’ll be too nervous to wait around a few hours,’” Robert Marshall said. “I think some of the parents have been more nervous than the kids before a few of these games, but there’s been so much positive support for our players. This has been a historic run, and every game brings them a step closer. The excitement has just been amplified.”
Rachel Marshall said she remembered a conversation with Elijah early in the playoff run.
“We were talking before one of the games, and he said, ‘Mom, I think we’ve got this one.’ They’ve been a confident team. It hasn’t been a forbidden topic. … I think they have really embraced the opportunity,” Rachel Marshall said. “The parents have all been really supportive. I think we would have taken a road trip anywhere in the world to watch this team.”
Justin Silver, whose son, Luke, is a freshman midfielder for the Blue Devils, said the entire season has been an enjoyable experience for all the parents and fans.
“I think they are a gritty, fun team to watch,” Silver explained. “I think one advantage is how many of our substitutes get into the games. Other teams don’t seem to have the depth that we do. Our kids all seem to enjoy playing together, and they have really good camaraderie. They have worked well with each other all year long.”
Senior Madi Parker, a member of the girls soccer team, said that the Model student body was ready to encourage the Blue Devils during the championship game.
“We’ve been a little bit more nervous this week, but we’re all excited for them,” Parker said. “I think a lot of students are heading down here. I know a lot of our Lady Devils team is here to support them. It’s going to be crazy if they win it, but we will be proud of them no matter what.”
Parker said the Blue Devils have a lot of strengths that worked in their favor this year.
“They have some good scorers and a solid defense and strong goalkeeping,” she said. “They are fast and aggressive and they have a lot of depth. They work really well together, too.”
Model has developed a successful, well-rounded athletic program in recent years, with multiple teams in several sports advancing deep into the postseason.
Athletic director Mike House said the community support has been vital to the success of those programs.
“We have been blessed to have a lot of success in a number of sports — cross country, wrestling, football, baseball, basketball and now soccer,” House said. “To have one of our teams in a state championship like this, it’s where we hope to be every year. I think it shows all of our programs that, ‘Hey, we can do that, too.’ We’ve had a handful of team state champions — football in 1979, track in 1995, golf in 2017 — but we’ve been so close in other sports, too. Our community support has always been great, not just with our parents, but with people in the community that don’t have any affiliation to a particular team. The kids on all of our teams always come out and cheer for each other, and they make the atmosphere at the games very exciting.
“And I’ve noticed this — when our athletic teams do well, it makes school in general a lot more fun. It gives everyone something to talk about and a common goal to pull for. It’s great to have an event like this that is so meaningful, but I think all of us over here have butterflies.”
Strickland explained that the success that Model athletic programs enjoy comes from a foundation built by all of the coaching staffs.
“I think any time that our teams have success, it’s an example of our program as a whole,” he said. “It’s the culture that our coaches have created. They always work to get the most out of our players and to instill a good work ethic and a sense of pride in our teams. I know, in boys soccer, coach Donnie Mendence has done it the right way. He told me that he’s been proud of how his players have responded to the work it takes to get to this point. They have really responded to the challenge.”
No matter whether the Model teams win or lose, Strickland said the studentathletes always know that people are behind them.
“We’ve had a lot of success in a lot of different sports in recent years,” he said, “and the one thing in common is always that our Model and Floyd County communities get behind our teams and really support them and encourage them. I think that’s exciting to see and I think all of our programs benefit from that.”