By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
SPRINGFIELD – Effingham County football players toiled together on the practice fields through long, hot summers. They lifted weights together until their muscles were sore.
They shared disappointment together when they fell short of a region championship by a field goal two straight years.
Last Wednesday, five Rebels, only fittingly, celebrated together as they announced their next journey after high school – playing college football.
Safety Ashley Thompson and offensive lineman Desmond Mongomery will be headed to Peru State College, an NAIA school located in Peru, Nebraska.
Defensive tackle Keysean McCarr and offensive lineman Noah Logan will attend Greensboro College, a Division III school in Greensboro, North Carolina.
And offensive lineman Trey Gordy is headed to Point University, an NAIA school in West Point, Georgia.
"This is what I've always wanted, a chance to play college football," Thompson said. "This is a special moment and I wouldn't want to share it without my teammates, to be honest."
It was a special year for ECHS football and the seniors played big roles in the success. The Rebels won seven games for the first time since 2018 and won seven straight for the first time since 1995.
The long win streak put ECHS in position for a region championship in the regular-season finale, but the Rebels fell just short, 30-27, to undefeated Brunswick High.
Thompson, Montgomery and McCarr each earned first-team, all-region honors. Thompson (6-2, 190) was a big hitter in the defensive secondary. McCarr (6-1, 245) was a force in the middle of the defensive line and Montgomery (6-3, 330) joined Gordy (6-0, 225) and Logan (6-3, 280) to block for a balanced offense.
"I've been waiting for this day since I was a little kid," McCarr said.
ECHS coach John Ford thanked the players and gave insight on what they went through to succeed.
"Football is a hard game," Ford said. "You have to work when no one is around. It requires a lot of sacrifice and these guys have sacrificed for their teammates, this school, this community, and this town. This is truly one of my favorite days."
Gordy thanked a higher power.
"This is nothing short of magical," he said. "God made a way when there was no way."
The quintet joined teammates Keion Wallace and Timmy Brown, who signed in February to play at Georgia Southern University and the U.S. Military Academy, respectively.
