Friday, September 1, 2023. The day that everyone has been waiting for, and the most ramped up football game of the season, Chamblee vs. Dunwoody. While this rivalry game has always been one of the most anticipated games for our school, it is also the first home game of this year’s season. As the countdown to kickoff begins, the Chamblee football team, coaches, and the school as a whole are all preparing for it.

“We have practice every week, and are trying to put [on] the best competition we can throughout practice to play the best game we can and prepare ourselves for different situations,” said Michael Freeman, social studies teacher and assistant coach.

As football is a game where teamwork is crucial, if a player is not putting in their best efforts, the team will fall apart. Fortunately, this is not the case for the Chamblee football team.

“When somebody is down, someone is there to pick them up and we keep moving forward, no matter if someone is having a great game or a bad game,” said Freeman.

The players not only have the spirit of teamwork that is needed to do well in games, but they also have confidence in each other and in their performance.

“We don’t feel any pressure. [By] being confident [and] working hard, we know we’re going to win because we put in the work,” said kicker Zeke Edwards (‘24).

The team’s work ethic further exemplifies the players’ dedication to the sport.

“We want  it more, we hustle, [and] we’re ‘locked in’ [during] every single practice,” said running back and wide receiver Larry Harrison (‘24).

Even though the team has achieved many accomplishments together, they realize that there is always room for improvement, and know what to do to help one another.

“Telling the team [encouragements and] picking the team up, motivating them to keep going,” said Harris.

Other members see the importance of not just physical improvement but also investing mental and emotional participation into the games.

“Getting my team happier, more confident in themselves [is important]. We have a really good team, we just have to put it all together,” said quarterback Ashton Bolston (‘24). 

Gamewise, the team plans to focus on establishing a strong start to use towards their advantage.

“I feel like we start really slow, [so] if we start fast and start getting touchdowns every time we get the ball, it should be an easy win for us,” said Edwards.

The team’s collaborative efforts is what helps them to obtain the best outcome every time they step onto the field. The players see themselves as a collective, or a “we” instead of “I.”

“That’s just how they work as a team, and that kind of goes into their mindset. It’s a ‘we’ mentality, it’s a team. It’s not about the individuals. We have some really great players [who] recognize that it’s about us and the team. Team first mentality [is] really great for them [and] it’s representative. We’re all [part of this] team, and they’ve done a great job of caring [for] each other,” said Freeman.

While the game is focused on the players, we cannot forget the people who have the greatest impact on the crowd’s participation, the students— specifically, Chamblee’s student section.

“I’m so excited for the [Chamblee vs. Dunwoody] game— it’s my favorite of the season. I love the competition,” said Olivia Bell (‘24), one of the student section leaders.

The student section comes to cheer on the players, hype them up, and are there for support, because they know the team needs it in order to win.

“We have people making posters and [have] some chants to keep the crowd hype during the game,” said Trinity Walls (‘24), another member of the four student section leaders.

Without a doubt, the tension between the opposing teams will get heated during the game. However, Chamblee’s players are confident in their abilities and teamwork to beat the Dunwoody Wildcats and emerge victorious.

As Harrison put it, “We are big dogs, we’re Chamblee. We represent.”