It could have been a furious fight to reclaim glory and fame or merely a fanciful flight to a gory, maiming shame.
What happened was somewhere in between.
Football alumni from Dalton and Northwest Whitfield returned to Tunnel Hill for a full-contact football rematch — more than 25 years in the making in some cases — with their counterparts Saturday night at Bruin Stadium.
The Bruins claimed the final edge on the scoreboard, 14-6, but both sides came away with some sense of victory just by pulling on the pads one again.
Avenging a little reclaimed rival dominance and enduring a share of physical pain, everyone walked off the field under their own power, albeit slowly and despite two Dalton players requiring crutches.
Northwest quarterback and 2007 graduate Drew Carter was named the offensive player of the game and said Saturday’s victory did not completely make up for an 0-4 record against the rivals during his prep days.
“It’s not like we beat them in high school, but it was nice to finally do it,” Carter said.
Jerome Key, a 2001 Northwest graduate, was named lineman of the game, and even for the visitors, the chance to make contact again was a welcomed opportunity.
“It was good just to get out here and play,” said 1999 Dalton graduate Brian Roberts, who was named the Catamounts player of the game. “My kids — neither one of them has seen me play. It was good to show my son how it’s done.”
The game was organized by Gridiron Alumni, a California-based company that creates a new night for old players against their enduring rivals all over the country. Participants paid a $75 entry fee, which included the use of equipment, which put the Dalton in white shirts and black pants. Northwest was decked out in Bruins practice jerseys.
The prep teams from Dalton and Northwest faced off each year from 1998-2009, before the Cats moved down to Class 3A and the Bruins were forced into a 10-game Region 7-4A for this cycle.
The 1998 and 99 games also marked the only consecutive victories Northwest posted over their rivals, as Dalton holds the series lead at 26-5, according the Georgia High School Football Historians website.
Gridiron Alumni will take proceeds from the gate, and made a postgame donation to both programs. Money generated from the concession stand went to benefit Northwest’s athletic teams. Tracy Cavender, who is one of the owners of Gridiron Alumni, said they provide this service around the country to give players a chance reconnect with football.
“We do this for three main reasons,” Cavender said. “One, it’s about giving guys a chance to play again. Two, we try to help the schools by making donations to both programs. And we try to reach out to area youth when we can.”
Hal Brooker, a 1990 Northwest graduate, was the first player to sign up for the game, and was glad he made that choice afterward.
“These bruises feel great,” Brooker said. “They might hurt some in the morning. I had a blast.”
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