Top Stories Montgomery

CHELSEA, Alabama — Tonight was more than another night of high school football.

Band members produced the same percussive notes in the background, and the sun receded in favor of those familiar Friday night lights. But the game was a brief break for a Pleasant Grove community devastated by the deadly tornadoes of April 27.

It was fitting that before the game the Spartans ran through a sign that read, “This town, this team has something to prove — destroyed but not defeated.”

“When you have a storm like this, you try not to let it stop you,” Pleasant Grove mayor Jerry Brasseale said. “Everybody out here tonight, football, hot dogs, Coca-Cola, doing what you want them to do. This is much needed right here. Step away from it and get back to doing things you love to do.

“We want to continue to do that, get back to normal as quick as we can. You’re talking about years. But you can make your city better.”

The city of Chelsea donated $2,600 and a meal to Pleasant Grove fans. The Chelsea student body collected $1,069 and gave its half of the gate at $743. In addition to the school’s PTO’s $500 and the Chelsea Youth Club’s $1,000, Pleasant Grove received a total of $5,912.

“I hope they just stop and watch football, watch their kids play,” Chelsea coach Wade Waldrop said. “That’s the big thing.”

The Spartans were originally scheduled to begin spring football practices on April 27. Their start was pushed back a week, to May 4, after school began again.

“They were keyed up about it,” Pleasant Grove coach Jim Elgin said. “Kids wanted to practice when we got back to the school. It was kind of strange, kids walking up and all they got on was a T-shirt and a pair of shorts because that’s all they have left.”

The two schools agreed on April 22 to play each other on May 20 after both school’s original opponents canceled.

After the tornadoes hit five days later, football was the furthest thing from Waldrop’s mind. He didn’t think there would be a game once Chelsea returned to school.

“But from talking to coach, it was very obvious from the very beginning there would be a football game,” he said. “Not based on anything we wanted, but what their kids wanted. They wanted to be back in school and back playing football. I’m grateful they’re here.”

Elgin is grateful his players have football. He remembers telling an assistant coach the biggest challenge for his team would come outside of class. School would occupy his players’ minds during the day, but they needed an escape once leaving.

Football was that.

“The kids wanted to practice when we got back to school,” Elgin said. “It takes their mind off things, gives them some structure back. I really think the harder part is when we’re out of school.”

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters featured article: If At First You Don’t Succeed – Four Decades Of US-UK Attempts To Topple Gadafi.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.