Rome High School Bests the Paulding Patriots to Win the 2021 Region 5 AAAAAA Title
Community November 10, 2021
ROME, GA— Chilly weather did not stop the Wolves from heating up early during the last game of the 2021 season. Rome was on the road visiting Paulding County High School’s Patriots in a game that was a must win for the Wolves to secure a region championship.
During a contest where Head Coach and System Athletic Director John Reid saw big plays from the special teams and his defense work hard to stop a relentless Patriot passing game, Rome’s leader of the Pack said that Paulding gave them a few challenges he and his staff did not expect.
“I told our kids all week that it would be like this,” Reid said after finding out that Carrollton High had edged out the win over Douglas County in the final seconds of their game. “We had to come out after halftime and makes some adjustments to some defenses we did not think we would have to play. Paulding had a really good game plan, but our coaches knew they would play us hard.”
After discovering that Rome had just secured a win that placed them atop the Region 5 AAAAAA heap, he was overcome with excitement. Reid joined his players and coaching staff for a brief celebration, he spoke to his Wolves about staying the course and playing for something more than themselves.
“Get in here; get in tight guys,” Reid said as he gathered his players and was surrounded by Rome High School football supporters. “Listen, we have to work on tying up some of these loose ends. But tonight, we are the Rome Wolves 2021 six A region 5 Champs! Whether it was hard, or whether it was ugly, it was what we hoped to accomplish. Carrollton beat Douglas on the last play. It ain’t easy in Georgia. Every team has great players. That is why we demand that you come to practice and meetings and listen to what we say. Just know, that anything we ask you to do is never going to be easy. We always tell you that nothing gets done by itself. Remember that talk?”
Reid then asked one of his players if he remembered the things they talked about in practice to which the young man replied, “I remember, Coach.”
“That’s the great thing about being a kid,” Reid said in closing. “You get to learn how to get better as long as you apply our core values and work hard every time we are together. But tonight, we are region champs guys! We did something extremely hard!”
Rome finished the game by a score of 46-34. Becoming Region 5 AAAAAA Champions means that Rome has secured at least one home playoff game at Historic Barron Stadium to begin their run.
The Wolves will face John Creek High School’s Gladiators on November 13. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Congratulations on winning the region, Wolves! We are proud of you and will be rooting for you during the 2021 GHSA High School Football Playoffs!
Go Wolves!!!
2021 Region 5 AAAAAA Title Floyd County John Reid Rome Ga Rome Ga Wolves Rome Highschool Rome Highschool Football Rome Highschool Wolves
Rome High School Jr. Air Force ROTC Get a Hands-On Lesson at Air Show
Community November 8, 2021
ROME, GA— Col. Seaborn Whatley, Rome High School’s Jr. Air Force ROTC educator, capitalized on the opportunity to give his students a firsthand look at planes used by our US Armed Forces. During the Wings Over North Georgia Air Show (October 30-31), pilots who are familiar with the A-10 Thunderbolt airplane gave students a tour of the aircraft and offered a chance for questions. While on the ramp, Jr. AFROTC members also caught a glimpse of the Blue Angels practicing for their exhibition happening the next day of the show.
“This is a great opportunity for us, course wise, because we are currently studying aviation history,” said Col. Whatley. “We have been talking a lot about barnstorming, and these airshows are the legacy of the barnstorming events held in the 1920s. Barnstorming usually involved veterans who came out of World War I. There were many jobs involving aviation that were cut, so the aircraft became very cheap. Ex-military pilots bought many of those planes and they would host air shows in local towns. That was really the face of aviation in the 20s.”
Col. Whatley said that many believe without those veterans helping to keep aviation alive, we would not be able to experience the air shows we currently enjoy across the U.S.
“I want to thank the organizers of the Wings Over North Georgia Air Show for allowing us to come out here and run around the ramp while they are getting prepared for the air show tomorrow,” Col. Whatley added. “We were able to allow our kids exposure to these airplanes at no cost. So, they have all been very welcoming and very generous of their time.
While at the air show, students were allowed to see the details of the A-10 Thunderbolt and learn about the operation of the machines. They also asked the pilots about the job of the two planes on the ramp for viewing and how they fit into the mission of the military.
“This event is a nice tie-in to what we are studying and what we can see,” Col. Whatley said as he explained to his students where the flares are released from the wings of the A-10. “The A-10 is the premiere close air support fighter for the U.S. Air Force. Their demo team is preparing to put on a great show for everyone tomorrow and most of this team is local to the Southeast. So, we have had a blast putting hands on a real U.S. Military aircraft.
“They are having a wonderful time,” Col. Whatley added with a satisfied smile. “And even though the weather is a bit wet, they are warm and dry in their hearts.”
Go Wolves!!!