School is back in session, welcoming our favorite time of year: football season. Obviously, football is a sport that is celebrated nationwide. Many great stories revolve around the last-second winning touchdown or lighthearted trash-talking between old rivals.
For me, football season is so much more.
Much like those bright Friday night lights, the scene is burning in my mind. Whistles blowing. Fans yelling. The smell of funnel cakes and fresh cut grass. Cheerleaders rallying the crowd. The sound of drums thumping loud, fast and hard in a timid five year-old’s chest. And, who can forget, the almost horrific mascot Rufus making his rounds through the crowd of young, old and all of those in between.
This is the memory of my very first football game in Nix-Webster O’Neal Stadium, and oddly enough, one of my favorite memories in Tallapoosa County. I’m a Reeltown girl through and through, but it’s not just my alma mater that carries a spirit of pride and loyalty. While Benjamin Russell, Dadeville, Horseshoe Bend and Reeltown share a rivalry as old as time itself, there is something that they all have in common.
You see, Tallapoosa County has spirit. I can spend my entire career trying to describe the spirit within these 766 square miles, but it would not be enough. At five years old, I knew that there was an almost supernatural atmosphere, and I mean that in the best way possible.
I guess what I am trying to describe is an incredible sense of community. A community that has personally supported me and many others. Growing up in Tallapoosa County made me the person I am today. But, this is not about me; this is about you and the undeniable spirit that awaits in Tallapoosa County.
As the game commenced, I can remember being in awe of everything that was happening around me: the ball snapping, the sound of hard tackles, the cheerleaders’ chants, the band blaring their horns, in addition to a dedicated, beloved member of the crowd playing his bugle and shouting, “CHARGE!” I recall looking around and taking it all in; it was then I realized that I was one of the lucky ones.
The beauty of a small-town Friday night
Across America, there are stereotypes about small, rural communities. Many argue that “there’s nothing to do” or “everybody knows everybody,” and in some sense, it is true. But there are also beautiful moments, like my first football game, that stick with you and define the kind of person you want to be; the kind of person that can only be produced in a place like Tallapoosa County, where school officials, teachers and coaches do more than discipline, teach state curriculum or win football games.
Reeltown won against Dadeville on August 25, 2005. Today, the rivalry still continues with many wins and losses for both teams. I am no record keeper, but I believe it would be safe to say the same of Benjamin Russell and Horseshoe Bend. Win or lose, we all know and remember how it felt that our respective communities loved us the same. The same communities that continue to show up, support and love each other despite differences like the colors we wear or the mascot we sport.
Looking back, it was at that very first football game that I began to understand what it means to be a team player, to show up and support others, and to believe in something bigger than myself. As a five year old, I knew that spirit in the stadium was contagious, infectious and one of the most exciting feelings I have ever experienced. To me, that is what defines Tallapoosa County and the people that inhabit it. In the midst of tragedy, triumph, heartbreak and victory, Tallapoosa County is a community like no other. Tallapoosa County is home, and we are lucky to have her.
So, this football season check out what Tallapoosa County has to offer. Come experience the thrill of our Friday night lights for yourself, and you may just find the spirit you have been searching for.
Visit Tallapoosa County Board of Education’s Facebook page for information on county football games.
Or, click here for more information on Benjamin Russell football games.
Photos by the Alex City Outlook
