Jaman.... some Rome high school football history....

[SleepingDawgLying]

I was able to attend the West Rome - Dooley County state championship in 1983. West Rome had the game well in hand, leading 35-0 very late in the fourth quarter. With a bunch of subs going in and out of the game, Dooley County finally put together a drive and were deep inside West Rome territory. West Rome put their starters back in on defense in order to preserve the shutout.

I was also able to attend the 1990 state championship game where Pepperell beat Brown High School, 42-8. Better yet, I was at the semi-final the previous week, in Blakely, when Pepperell came from behind, and then preserved a 21-20 win over Early County. Man, what a ballgame that was.

I got to see Kinnebrew a few different times when he played at East Rome. There was a really good run of high school teams in and around that area, starting in the 1970s and on into the early 1990s.

 

[Jaman_Dawg]

good times ,til city fathers thought if they combined them it ........

would create a national power.
Well it id not.

 

[SleepingDawgLying]

They went back to the old days of Rome High School, and it ...

... didn't happen.

I'm curious, though, to see what happens with John Reid. He made a powerhouse out of East Paulding, really quick. He took them to the dome for the semi-finals in just the first 2-3 years he was there. He also improved Tift County in the short time he was down there. He's won championships in his career and knows what it is like to be there and how to get there.

I'm thinking we're going to see a rise out of Rome High School in the next couple of years.

 

[workinDawg]

With all of the mfg and textile plants closed I think it will be a long

time before we see sustained success from a small ex-mill town. My observation at least.

 

[Chicago_Dawg]

What ever happened to Toryan Smith?*

nm

 

[SleepingDawgLying]

Good point. Although, there are a whole lot of "small ex-mill towns"...

... all across Georgia.

Gwinnett and Cobb counties are cranking out powerhouses each and every year. The only good thing is the vast majority of them play in Class AAAAAA. Then, there is Buford...

I think Reid has the credentials to definitely bring about a great improvement to the Rome program. I could see them getting players who might otherwise play at some other school. There have been a lot of Rome-area kids transferring into the Calhoun program over the past number of years. Reid could possibly have something to say about that.

 

[SleepingDawgLying]

Re: What ever happened to Toryan Smith?*

Not sure what he's doing these days. I think he's living in L.A.