Clarke Central High School takes the region championship

November 9, 2019

Clarke Central High School varsity football player Tracy Hill stands on the field during the region championship game against Buford High School on Nov. 8 in Death Valley. The Gladiators pulled off a 31-28 win against the Wolves. “We were prepared for this game after weeks of practicing. We came out and executed,” CCHS varsity runningback O’Brien Barnett said. “To beat the number one team in the state, it feels great.” Photo by Luna Reichert

The Clarke Central High School varsity football team won the Georgia High School Association Region 8-AAAAA Championship against Buford High School on Nov. 8.

At 7:30 p.m. in Death Valley, the Gladiators entered the game with a 6-3 record, while the undefeated Wolves entered as the No. 1-ranked team in the region.

The Gladiators started off the game with a touchdown in the first 13 seconds, followed by two more touchdowns for CCHS and one for Buford in the first quarter.

“The fast start for us was huge,” CCHS varsity football head coach David Perno said. “Getting a little cushion and being able to hold on (was important).”

After the high-scoring first quarter, the game slowed down for the Gladiators, leaving a score of 21-14 at halftime. CCHS gained a field goal in the third quarter, followed by a fast-moving fourth quarter with one Gladiator touchdown and two for the Wolves. The game ended with a 31-28 win for CCHS.

“It definitely feels good, but at the same time, it’s what we expect,” CCHS varsity quarterback Isaac Ward, a senior, said. “We’re trying to set a new standard for the program and the young guys. This is a really big win for the program as a whole.”

This is the first region championship win for the Gladiators since 2011, and the team will host their first game of the state playoffs next week as the one seed.

“I was so proud of this group. It’s been up and down as we’ve tried to find our groove, and we have gotten better throughout the season. This validates that,” Perno said. “If we hadn’t won, we could have ended up the fourth seed, so I think we kind of shot into state today.”

The Clarke Central High School football team played Buford High School on Nov. 8 for the Georgia High School Association Region 8-AAAAA Championship. Video by Colin Frick

Elena Gilbertson Hall

Elena Gilbertson Hall is a senior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia where she is the Editor-in-Chief for the ODYSSEY Media Group. Gilbertson Hall has been on the staff of the ODYSSEY for four years and previously served as a news writer, covering important issues in the school and community while also exploring multimedia content and other forms of journalistic work. She was presented the Georgia Junior Champion Journalist Award by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association in 2019. She has also presented at multiple journalism conferences, including the Southern Interscholastic Press Association and GSPA.