On September 13, 2019, Cass High battled against their cross-county rivals, the Woodland High Wildcats. It was a long, strenuous game—one that spanned over two days, but the Colonels reigned victorious. It was their first win against the Wildcats in three years, and Cass was elated to discover they were the victors of this past game.

On Friday night, the score was 24 to 7 with Colonels in the lead. Everything was going swimmingly until the officials announced a lightning delay.  Both teams disregarded it for a little while (as it was twelve miles away), but the fear kicked in, and the game was delayed several more times. At midnight, the officials decided it was best for both schools to postpone the game until Saturday.

At 7 o’clock the next day, Cass and Woodland resumed their game where it was left off: the last two minutes of the third quarter. Many students came out to support the Colonels and cheer them on, a high amount considering the circumstances and short notice.

The Woodland game has always been one that all the students look forward to each year. Given that they are our cross-country rivals, many students flock to the Cass vs. Woodland game annually. According to Chandler Dupree, a senior and left tackle on the football team, “It’s a game […] everyone looks forward to seeing. But Woodland is also the first region game Cass plays, and I think it sets the tone for the rest of the season.” Many students also enjoy the game because they can see their friends from middle school, and they always like to one-up each other. Caleb Doolittle, a senior and trumpet player in the band, states, “Woodland is our main rival. They [are] the one team that it really means a lot to beat. Our schools—in both spirit, band, and football—are really similar, and our goal is to beat them in all of it.”

Despite the fact that the game was not a typical football game, the students from both sides had a great time watching the game. Neleh McGivern, a senior and a cheerleader, states, “This whole season, our students have been so much more excited for football, but this game against Woodland was intense. They are our biggest rivals, and we haven’t won against them for three years! So when we scored that first touchdown, you could just see how all of the students’ faces lit up from excitement. Everyone had hope, we all screamed, yelled, and cheered together, which helped and encouraged our football players to take us all the way to the big win!!”

The Colonels made their win official that Saturday with a score of 36 to 7. The administration and football team were grateful for the surplus of students who supported the school and thanked them towards the end of the game. After all, by providing the support, they give the football players a reason to succeed. Dupree states, “I think everybody does a great job in keeping that energy on Friday nights ecstatic! Everyone plays a part and plays their part well.” However, the students were just grateful for—as Doolittle says— “a reason to cheer for a good play and a reason to jeer at the opposing team.”

With yet another win down, the Colonels are excited to see if the football team can provide another win against Villa Rica this Friday at 7:30 pm. So go out and support your Colonels!