ATHENS — Limestone County is not even pretending to be neutral when it comes to which team it will be pulling for in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Cheerleaders from Athens High School, Athens Middle School, and West Limestone High School went “Full Out” this week “painting the city green” with 20 downtown Athens businesses letting the cheering squads paint their storefronts in support of Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins, who graduated from Athens in 2016, and Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who graduated from West Limestone in 2017.
It is not only very rare for two players from the same area to be playing in the Super Bowl, but it is even more rare for them to be playing on the same team.
“Typically, every August at the beginning of football season, it has been an Athens tradition since the 1950s to have a pep rally in the downtown square before their first game of the season,” said Ashley Graves, public relations specialist at Limestone County Schools. “Athens Main Street coordinates with participating businesses to allow local teams to paint their storefronts on Sunday before the first game in support of local teams.
“This Super Bowl celebration is an extension of that tradition.”
Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks and Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly signed a joint resolution Thursday proclaiming Sunday as a day in honor of the two local athletes.
The proclamation states in part that the two men’s “stories remind our community’s students to pursue their dreams by working hard and staying dedicated,” and that “both athletes have garnered a sense of community pride and hometown spirit among our citizens.”
While Sugar Creek Elementary School had an Eagles pep rally with Blankenship’s parents, and Athens had one with Watkins’ parents Wednesday, there has not yet been a downtown pep rally.
However, that may change and more events will likely be planned if they triumph over the Chiefs, Graves said.
“We are so grateful for this opportunity to partner with our sister school, West Limestone, to celebrate our community boys on their accomplishment of playing in the Super Bowl,” said Athens Cheer Coordinator Gia Russell. “This community is so proud”.
Caila Davis, West Limestone cheer sponsor, said, “This is an exciting time for our community. We were glad to partner with Athens to show our support for our local guys.”
There will be two downtown Athens watch parties at Village Pizza and Limestone Legends Billiards for fans who wish to join in the hometown spirit Sunday.
There will be a hoopin’ and hollarin’ good time with plenty of food, TVs broadcasting the game, and as many spontaneous renditions of “Fly, Eagles, Fly” as the game unfolds.
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