Unicoi County High School hosts first home football game after Hurricane Helene

ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – On Friday night, Unicoi County High School held its first home football game at Gentry Stadium after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Unicoi County.

First responders were recognized at the game for their dedicated efforts in disaster recovery. They helped lead the football players onto the field and were honorary captains.

“It’s a small token, but it’s just a way for us to say thank you,” John English, Unicoi County Director of Schools, said. “And we wanted them to feel the love from the community and from the folks that are here. And we saw that with the standing ovation. And it’s so deserved for those folks. Again, we’ll never be able to repay their time away from their families, the sacrifice that they’ve made, again to just pour back into this community. And we’re grateful for them.”

English said it’s been wonderful to see the smiles on the fans’ faces in the stands.

The game was admission-free to get everyone they could together for a night of fun.

“It feels really great,” Isabella Sams, Unicoi High School senior, said. “I mean, we’ve not seen each other in, like, three or four weeks, and it’s just nice seeing the community show up. And then to honor the first responders out on the field.”

Many lifelong Unicoi County residents are proud to live there and to be cheering on their local team together.

Carla Engle, who grew up in Erwin, has a daughter who is attending high school; another has already graduated. She said it’s been amazing to see the community’s camaraderie after the county’s devastation.

“When something like this happens, I mean, this once-in-a-lifetime thing, I mean, people have they just come out of the woodwork,” Engle said. “And not only local people, but people from, you know, people I worked with 20 years ago and they are reaching out to me, how can we help? What can we do? But everybody just coming together has been just out of this world amazing and just proud to live in this area.”

Megan Edens was also raised in Erwin. She was set up at the game at a booth for the Unicoi County Prevention Coalition. She said it was amazing to see the town and other counties together.

“It just shows how resilient we are and shows that, no matter what this town has gone through, that we still all have each other’s backs,” Edens said.

Edens said even her Vietnam veteran father and brother, a retired homicide detective from New York City, have stepped up to help.

“Just seeing each county that we’ve gone to, we’ve been in North Carolina, we’ve been in Carter County and everything, Hampton and everywhere. And it’s just they’re all helping each other. And it’s just seeing everybody bouncing back the best way that they know, making these man-made bridges for families to be able to get out of their counties and whatnot.”

To make the night even sweeter for those in Erwin, Unicoi County won its game against Claiborne. The score was 42 to 13.

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