Commissioners recognize Ringgold High School’s JROTC Drill Team
Ringgold High School’s Junior ROTC Drill Team has been the class of state competition over the past three years, and Catoosa County’s Board of Commissioners recently recognized the team for its great work.
During the April 16 Board of Commissioner’s meeting, attorney Clifton “Skip” Patty introduced the team and its leader, Sgt. Joey Sizemore, after highlighting some of the group’s recent accomplishments.
“We would like to recognize the Ringgold High School Junior ROTC Drill Team,” Patty said. “They have been state championship winners in 2017, 2018 and 2019.”
Sizemore praised the team for its dedication, hard work, and exceptional results. “They practice long hours,” Sizemore said. “These kids not only do drill, but they work. A lot of them have fulltime jobs. They all keep their grades in good standing because they have to pass all their classes to be on the team.”
Sizemore said developing the program from scratch has been as rewarding as the championships.
“I started in 2007 and we didn’t have a drill team at Ringgold. We did not have a color guard at Ringgold,” Sizemore said. “It was my goal to build this team up. Kids like the ones you see sitting in the audience are the reason that it makes my job a whole lot easier because they give, give, and give to the community.”
Before the team posed for a photo with commissioners, Sizemore said he’s looking forward to seeing what other accolades his crew can bring home in the near future.
“They’ve won three state championships and it hasn’t even been close. They have done a fantastic job,” Sizemore said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s going to be a fourth state championship.”