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Bound by Food & Tradition

Photos: The 1972 Championship Team remembers being fed by the community, and feeds the 2024 Championship Team

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In 1972, when the Clinton Red Devil Football Team won the State Championship, its members were fed numerous times by community members, proud of their accomplishment. On Friday afternoon, it was that team’s turn to return the favor – to the 2024 State Champions.

The Pride of Clinton Legacy Group has been meeting and renewing acquaintances ever since the 50th Reunion of the championship team a couple years ago. Behind the CHS Cafeteria, they met again, and members cooked steaks on two giant, mobile grills – and they swapped stories about the glory days. Inside the newly remodeled Clinton High School cafeteria, the current Red Devil football team waited patiently – after all, it was better than being in class which, coincidentally, is a last period athletics training class for football. Once it was all prepared – Cindy Jacobs lined up the food service for baked potatoes, salad, and fixin’s – everybody enjoyed lunch.

Mission Accomplished – The Pride of Clinton Legacy Group had done for this team what its community had done for them 52 years before.

Buddy Bridges, the Voice of the Red Devils, introduced Principal Dr. Martha Brothers, who said, “I would just like to thank The Pride of Clinton 1972 and I think there may have been some others from different years, thank you for putting this on for us” – and turning to the 2024 team – “I also want to thank you, because we know we wouldn’t be here without you guys. For all the hard work you started last year at this time, and it was a grind until December 12. You made this school proud. You made this community proud. It’s a great day to be a Red Devil and you made it a lot greater to be a Red Devil, so thank y’all.”

Bridges made several introductions, including Alex and Steve Riley who presented championship footballs to the cheerleaders, trainers and football players for the 2024 season, from Carolina Stitches, CHS’ official outfitter in Clinton.

Bridges said the 2024 team is built on Faith, Family and Football, and said Head Coach Corey Fountain told the community when he was hired, “I respect this tradition and I’m going to build on it.”

“And, it didn’t take him but 6 years.”

Fountain said, “Thanks to the administration from the top down, they made it happen putting into place the football class, the facilities that we have, and being able to have the class, Dr. Brothers, and the administration here in the building, as well. You guys who put this on for us, thank you, as well. You guys set the standard for Clinton football, and we’re just trying to carry that out, trying to build young men from the inside out, trying to make sure that they are strong in their faith, strong in their ability to play football and in the classroom, and just being good community members. You guys set the standard for now - you have graduated, you have won state championships, you are owning your own businesses, you are leading this community; and these guys (2024 team) are blessed to see what you do each and every day. The more you guys come around, the better it will be for our football team, as well … thanks to our coaches for what you pour into our young men and thanks to our young men who embraced the work, because no matter what you do – if you lose that last game, what do you have to do, you get back to work; if you win, you get back to work; in life you don’t always win that last game, that state championship, but you get back to work. We want to represent you guys, our families, our school, and our community with pride in everything we do.”

Bridges said, “In 1972 this team took this town on a ride that didn’t stop for a long time … this team got fed just like you did, and they just wanted to give back.”

He introduced the ’72 team’s mentor, the winningest coach in Clinton High Football history, “he’s in every hall of fame that you could possibly be in; he won state championships in 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1985 and 1987.”

Chiding Buddy just a little, Coach Keith Richardson said, “It’s always hard to follow people who talk a lot. Some people just have the gift of gab. It’s not what you say. It’s what you do. This (lunch) was not my idea - this was the older guys – they wanted you (the 2024 team) to know, they wanted you to pass this down to the next generation, to the next state championship.  You brought us a lot of excitement on the football field. Thank you.”

Bridges introduced players from the 2024 team to players from the 1972 team (some of whom have passed away) and gave this past season’s championship players some insight into the 1972 championship players. He read to the 2024 players, his introduction that went out over WPCC radio and worldwide on the web at The Large Time Network to the Dec. 12 AA State Championship Game in Orangeburg – it was the 16th time that Clinton High Football had played for a State Championship - and told those Red Devil champion student-athletes, “Give yourselves a big hand.”

Each student trainer, cheerleader, and football player then received their Championship Commemorative Football.