Waycross and Ware County will honor Ware County High School’s GHSA Class AAAAA football state champions at 6 p.m., Thursday, January 5 with a parade and pep rally in downtown.
The parade, staged by the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, will gather at Pernell Roberts Memorial Park and travel from there to Plant Avenue for the trip through downtown. After the parade concludes, the champs will be honored at the rally in Phoenix Park.
Ware County defeated Warner Robins 38-13 at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Saturday, December 10 in the state finals. The championship was the first in football for the Gators in the school’s 65-year history.
The win against the two-time defending state champion gave the Gators a perfect record (14-0) for the first time in school history. Ware County had made 26 previous appearances in the state playoffs, including 20 straight since 2002.
During those appearances, the Gators lost in the state title game in 1961, 2007 and 2012.
The football crown capped a year that saw the Gators also claim titles by their rifle and girls’ golf teams.
Sunday, head coach Jason Strickland and a handful of his players were honored by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on its Class AAAAA All-State team.
Strickland, in his fourth season guiding the program, was named Coach of the Year while senior linebacker Trey Hargrove was chosen Defensive Player of the Year. Fellow seniors Jarvis Hayes and L.J. Hall were named to the first team as a receiver and defensive back, respectively. Also, junior defensive lineman Demetrius Baldwin earned honorable mention.
