HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — It’s the second year in a row for the Hoco Bears unity practice. More than 200 band members, 100 football players and 45 cheerleaders under the sun together.
Head football coach Jeremy Edwards looks forward to the yearly event.
“They’re going to be at all of our games. They’re going to be supporting us and when our season is done we try to make it out to their competitions as a team” says Edwards. “Fan support goes along way in our community and our culture and the things we want to be about here at Houston County.”
Band members and cheerleaders started things off going through football drills of tackling, blocking and catching the pigskin. Then the boys of fall and pep squad picked up instruments while learning choreography of the bands halftime show.
Band director Jay Davis in his sixth year leading the black and silver brigade loves the idea of everybody coming together.
“When football players see band kids now they talk to 'em and wave and ask them how their day is going. It’s the same thing for band kids and cheer and makes the whole building is a better place to be," he said.
To wrap things up, the state champion cheerleaders showed their fellow classmates how to stunt and cheer, which wasn’t an easy task. But all in all, they got a chance to learn and have fun at the same time and assistant cheer coach Katie Mullis agrees.
“We’re all together on a Friday night but there’s not many times we get to really appreciate what each other does on a Friday night”, says Mullis. “So it’s been wonderful to get together and learn what another does and now on Fridays when we see each other there is a great appreciation on how hard each person works to put on for our show and the community.”
So on football Friday nights whether under the lights, on the field, in the stands or on the sidelines the Houston county bears are learning they are all in this together.