Laney High community comes together for homecoming
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It was a week ago Saturday that Richmond County deputies responded to reports of shots being fired at Josey High School and the previous day at Laney High School.
This prompted the Richmond County School Board to almost cancel tailgates and homecoming parades entirely. That motion got voted down.
Laney High School held their homecoming on Saturday with law enforcement present for alumni to feel safe watching the game. After the previous week’s events, fans still came out to the Wildcats.
The annual homecoming tailgate is more than just an event for the friends of the class of 1982.
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For Carmelita Champion, this was her 40th tailgate.
“We love being with other wildcats,” Champion said. “Some we haven’t seen since the year before.”
Many from other classes were hanging out, cooking and playing music, showing a different scene from last Friday’s football game.
“Homecoming will usually be like double or triple the amount of people but due to things like what happened last week people are scared to come out,” Uneeca Eubanks, class of 1990, said.
Nothing could stop these classmates from coming out and reminiscing.
“We understand that there are a lot of things going on in the community, but we try not to let that affect us at all,” Dr. Keysa Bing-Mitchell, class of 1990, said. “We still come out here and have fun and enjoy everyone.”
Bing-Mitchell says Saturday’s homecoming was long needed.
“It’s about that Wildcat pride,” Bing-Mitchell said. “We love coming out and representing our school and our classes.”
She is not the only one who feels this way.
“I’m gonna represent my school,” Eubanks said. “I love my class, I love my school and the class of 1990. I said I was going to come and represent my class. So that’s what brought me out.”
“We just get bigger and badder because we are wildcats,” Champion said.
It’s that school spirit uniting everyone alongside Laney-Walker Boulevard.
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