Rome living up to high standard under Reid

The success had been moderate for the Rome High School program since its start in 1992.

There had been a few hit and miss playoff pushes, including a semifinal trip in 2008, but nothing on a level of dominance.

That has changed in the past few years. And perhaps not coincidentally, John Reid has been at the helm of the Wolves program during that same stretch.

Last year, Reid’s second year with Rome, saw the Wolves win their first state title, taking down Buford in the process. This season, the Wolves have been anything but content with last year’s success. Rome has been an absolute machine on both sides of the ball this season. The Wolves have not only surpassed 50 points against five opponents, but have also held six teams to a touchdown or less.

One of those big wins came against Carrollton 45-24 on Sept. 29. Warner Robins beat the Trojans 63-24 in the quarterfinal round.

It’s all been part of a season that has not so much been focused on what the Wolves have done in the past, but what can be done in the present.

“Going into this year, we started working off of the fact that this is a totally different team. There were no expectations other than to do the best we can and follow our system,” Reid said. “In our nucleus, they’ve just done a good job of being this years team and taking on the challenge of being better that last year’s team.”

The most recent triumph for Rome? Last week’s 45-7 takedown of Buford, giving Rome the distinction of ending Buford’s season two years in a row.

Win or lose, the season comes to an end for Rome on Friday. Getting past Warner Robins will determine whether not that includes another state championship for the Wolves or the Demons getting title number five at the expense of Rome.

“They’re good. They’re 14-0 and have beat some really good teams. I guess in the back of your mind, you keep hoping that one of these (games) is going to be easier, but they just keep getting harder. That’s a tribute to Georgia high school football, which I think is the finest in the country,” Reid said. “They’re just excellent on both sides of the ball and we have our work out for us, which we should going into this game.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Rome living up to high standard under Reid."