Douglas Veazey

Although several admitted to skipping their 50-year high school class reunion, nothing could keep them from Wednesday’s gathering. In what seemed more like a family reunion, 18 members of the 1954 Rossville High state championship football team met at a local restaurant to celebrate the release of a book chronicling that season.

“Marching through Georgia” was written by Douglas Veazey, the quarterback and co-captain of the ’54 team, and can be purchased online at Amazon.com and Borders.com. The title was inspired by former Rossville coach Glenn Wade, who noted that the team has gone from just across the Tennessee border right through the heart of the state, culminating with the state title won at Savannah.

The book also explores post-World War II small town Southern life and how important football was to the small community of Rossville.

“I never really considered myself a writer,” Veazey said. “But our coach (Glenn Wade) told me I should write about that team, and I just sort of ran with the idea. Looking back, to have as much support as we did back then from the town, how could we not be good?

“We only had two starters back from the season before, so nobody gave us much of a chance going into the season. But I knew we would good opening night. We were playing at Cedartown, and they were tough. They drove right down the field on us, but we stopped them around the 10-yard line. Then we turned around and drove 90 yards to score on them. To drive the ball that far — without making any mistakes — and score, no matter what level you’re playing at, you’ve got to be pretty good.”

Current Ridgeland coach Mark Mariakis, who said he appreciates the importance of Rossville’s proud football tradition and has raised expectations back in the community with last year’s playoff berth, listened as each member of the team in attendance stood to share stories and memories of their time together that season.

Carl Thompson, who played tackle on the ’54 team and now lives in Athens, Tenn., apologized to his teammates for an incident he belived cost the school a second consecutive sportsmanship award. In a game against Rome, Thompson recalled his opponent as being the dirtiest player he had faced. He eventually took a swing at the Rome lineman. After getting kicked out of the game for the punch, Thompson was instructed by coach Wade to apologize.

“I walked out there by myself, and he had about four of his teammates with him,” Thompson said with a smile. “I told him, ‘My coach said I have to apologize to you. I’m sorry, but you’re the dirtiest so-and-so I’ve ever played against.’ They wound up locking us in our locker room, and we had to break the door to get out.

“We were small in numbers and small in size, but we were very tough and we just came together for a special year. We were just enjoying the experience at the time, kind of unconscious to what was happening. But looking back on it, it was a pretty big deal.”