Friday night’s football game between Apalachee High School and Jackson County in Winder, Georgia was notable for many more reasons than which team won or lost.
The Wildcats lost, 25–6. But for the Apalachee community, it was the school’s first football game at their home field since the Sept. 4 shooting that killed two students, both 14 years old, and two math teachers. One of those teachers, Richard Aspinwall, was the team’s defensive coordinator.
Prior to the national anthem performed by the school’s chorus group, Apalachee held a moment of silence for the families of Aspinwall, Cristina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Players wore a special sticker on their helmets to honor Aspinwall. Fans wore t-shirts that said “Chee Strong.”
“It’s been very humbling, not just for our athletics, but because it’s not just about thoughts and prayers; it’s about what we can actually do,” head football coach Mike Hancock told Fox 5 …