Price wins back to back football championships at Domecoming

The Luther Judson Price Middle School Wildcats proudly hold the honor of winning back to back football championships at Domecoming! With a completely new team of players this year, head football Coach Kelvin Talley told his team that “Hard work pays off.”  The secret to a great team is “demanding their best on the field and in the classroom and by setting goals and working to achieve them,” says Coach Talley. At the beginning of the season Coach Talley asked his team what their goal was for the season. Every player stated, “We are going back to the Dome!”  Through hard work and leadership, the team was once again successful.  The players performed well as a team to be victorious over Young Middle School by the score of 24 – 12 on October 13, 2012 at the Georgia Dome.  The defense was instrumental in holding the Young team to only twelve points and the offense worked hard to get to the end zone to score points.

The Price Wildcat team won the city championship and Price Head Coach Kelvin Talley was named Middle School Football Coach of the Year.  When asked about the honor bestowed upon him, Coach Talley said with a little grin, “It was not me by myself.  All of the coaches all put the same amount of time into it.”  The other coaches are Mr. Etheridge, Price math teacher, Michael Collins, Hands On Atlanta volunteer, Mr. Glymph, counselor and Mr. Leon Carlton, who is an eighty one year old retired APS coach and educator who has volunteered for several years to help with Price’s team.

The awards did not stop with the coaches. Wildcat Team Captain, eighth grade running back and strong safety Quentin Gates was named the player of the year and is a member of the All-City Team along with fellow Team Captain Wildcat Frank Bailey Jr. who played tail back, back-up quarterback and corner back.  Each of these students was recognized for their outstanding efforts on the fifty-yard line during halftime along with the rest of the All-City Team.  APS is focusing on broadening the exposure for student athletes through events like the Domecoming for middle and high school students. Price quarterback Acey Brown also contributed to the win with over 100 yards passing to Kenneth Atkins. Other notable standout performances by Price’s student athletes include Javaris Jones, and Joshua Howard.

The legacy of a winning football team extends back to the time when Luther Judson High won the state football title in the 1960’s and when Price Middle School won in 1996.  Our middle school team is supported by the Wildcats of the past through new uniforms and a celebration of our successes by our L. J. Price High School Athletic / Alumni Association business partner.

Some of the current Wildcat team will be eligible to play as eighth graders next year and are already taking about going back to the Dome next year.  No matter if our team wins or loses next year, we will always be proud of the L. J. Price Middle School Mighty Wildcats!

written by Mrs. Tammy Rosado, Media Specialist at Price Middle School