Dozens of football fans flooded the Square Thursday afternoon to see their favorite football teams ahead of the approaching football season.
The head coaches of Charles Henderson High School, Pike Liberal Arts and Troy University were all present to pump up the crowd with help from the cheerleading squads of all three schools, plus T-Roy and the CHHS senior football players.

Guests enjoyed a brown bag lunch at the kick-off event while the coaches talked about the wonder of the season.

“There can’t be a more exciting time of year,” said PLAS head coach Gene Allen. You’ve got high school football on Friday nights and you turnaround soon and you’ll have Troy football on Saturdays. We need everyone to come out and support these teams. The players, cheerleaders and band work so hard. I can’t think of a better athletic town.”

Pike Lib has already gotten their season off to a great start with an overtime victory over Morgan Academy 20-14 last Friday, making every team in attendance “undefeated” since Troy and Charles Henderson haven’t begun play yet.

CHHS coach Brad McCoy reminded the crowd that their season opener is just aroud the corner though.

“We will travel just down the road to Brundidge to take on the Bulldogs Friday night,” McCoy said.

He also told the guest about the changes to the division and congratulated his 18 seniors.

Troy head coach Neal brown said the celebration is about more than any one team.

“We’re here to celebrate the sport of football,” brown said. “It opens up so many opportunities to the team, cheerleaders, the band – and it creates school spirit, and studies show academics rise when school spirit is high.”

Brown said football season is a phenomenal time of year, even topping out Christmas for him, and encouraged fans to come out to the season opener against Boise State at home.

“We fully expect the largest attendance in history for Troy football,” Brown said. This game really has a lot of ramifications for us.”

Tonya Terry emceed the event and guests were treated to door prizes as well as a free lunch.