Apalachee football team plays first game since losing coach in deadly school shooting

Healing is the focus as the Apalachee High School football team prepares to take the field Saturday.

It will be the Wildcats' first game since the Sept. 4 shooting on the school’s campus in Winder, Ga. that killed two students and two teachers – including one of the football team’s assistant coaches.

The team began practicing again last week, and the school reopened Monday.

“We've got students here that go through good days and bad days," said Mike Hancock, head football coach at Apalachee, about 50 miles northwest of Atlanta. “But I know this, when our kids are together, whether it's practicing or hanging out, eating pizza and wings, they're healing much better.

“And it's not just for football. I've seen it with our band, with our volleyball teams and softball teams. Teenagers, yes, they're resilient, but they also need to be together."

Apalachee is set to play on the road against Clarke Central High School in Athens. The game, originally to be played Friday night, was rescheduled for Saturday because of weather stemming from Hurricane Helene.

The team is scheduled to play at home next week and it likely will play a role in the healing process for a city of about 19,400, according to Hancock, in his second year as the team’s head coach.

“I think that comes with any small town," Hancock told USA TODAY Sports. “When we play our first home game, there's going to be a lot of people from around here that want to come and show support because they want to see our kids get on that field.

"I keep telling people we heal together and we do."

Honoring a fallen coach

Under their football pads, Apalachee’s players will wear shirts bearing "Coach A" to honor Richard Aspinwall, who was the team’s defensive coordinator.

He was killed in the shooting, leaving behind a wife and two young daughters.

“He has a desk in the coaches' office, and we've kind of made a little memorial there," Hancock said. “We tell stories about him in the coaches' office. Somebody will make a sarcastic comment and 'oh, Ricky would've loved that.' He would've been the one stirring the pot on that one.

“The kids are the same way, where they will share their stories. And that's how we heal."

During the grieving, Apalachee’s football team has been embraced.

The Atlanta Falcons hosted the team at its practice earlier in September and on Sunday, two Apalachee players served as honorary captains during the coin flip against the Kansas City Chiefs. Other members of the team spent time on the Falcons sideline before kickoff.

On Tuesday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spent time with Apalache football players and other students when he visited the school and has said he plans to attend the Apalachee's home game next week.

The Wildcats will get support from their hosts for road games as well.

Clarke Central coach David Perno told USA TODAY Sports by text message, “We are donating ticket proceeds to help the victims’ families. Signs will be up as well."

The losing streak

Apalachee has lost 24 consecutive games.

This season the Wildcats are 0-3, and against 3-2 Clarke Central they'll have another yet chance to end the streak.

“It's something I think that our kids know and the community knows, but I don't know really that anybody now is going to focus on that aspect," Hancock said. “And even without the tragedy now, we're going to focus on trying to beat our next opponent. And hopefully one day when that 48 minutes ticks off (the game clock) we're ahead on the scoreboard."