Regular alumni game player and 2006 Clarke Central High School graduate Alexander Stephens believes the Alumni game, which is played between the junior varsity and varsity soccer Classic City Championship games, has a reasonable amount of support. “I think people enjoy watching it,” Stephens said. “Parents who used to come watch all the games will come and watch their grown kids play again. Some of the current players will stick around and watch the game. It’s not a huge crowd, mostly it’s fun for the players.” Photo by Porter Mcleod
By FEAR CHURCHWELL – Staff Writer
On April 11, alumni players of Clarke Central High School and Cedar Shoals High School will reunite with their respective schools and play against each other in the Alumni game.
The Alumni game is set to take place between junior varsity and varsity matchups of Clarke Central High School and Cedar Shoals High School. The game is a full lengthed game and is open to any alumni player of both schools at any level.
“Last year there was probably about 30 of us from Clarke Central,” regular alumni game player and CCHS 2006 graduate Alexander Stephens said. “Cedar Shoals usually has a smaller group, and it’s anybody who has played soccer for Clarke Central on any level is eligible to come back.”
In 2014, CSHS beat CCHS in the Alumni game for the first time in the history of the game.
“Typically we always win we won every Alumni game until last year,” regular alumni game player and 2005 CCHS graduate Lamin Traoe said. “So the game tomorrow coming up is gonna be a huge one because everybody’s gonna come to this game ready to play.”
Aside from the scores, Traoe believes the Alumni game is ultimately an opportunity for past players to reunite with their respective teams and have fun playing together.
“We reconvene as a team. It’s like back in the days. It’s a memory that we cherish. It’s not something you can do twice in a life,” Traoe said. “It’s nice to get back together and play with your high school teammates again, and just relive their moments.”