In 2019, Coach Biff Parson and his team his seniors, the guys that came into Rockmart High School at the same time he did, went on a mission to attain what they were so close to in 2018. They wanted to bring home the Georgia State Class AA Football State Championship. The Yellow Jackets ripped through the season, defeating opponents by an average score of 46- 8, with no team being within three scores. They won their 3rd consecutive region title also. Unfortunately, a second-round playoff loss ended the season for Rockmart. 

Due to GHSA reclassification, Rockmart will now be pursuing a fourth consecutive regional championship as a member of Class 6-AAA, with no familiar foes, although the schedule will still include the annual battle with Polk County rival Cedartown. 

“This year, we have another really good group of seniors. Thirteen of them have a lot of playing experience, and now they have a lot on their shoulders,” Parson says. “They have to lead the team in the right way for us to continue what we have done in these last four years. And we have to continue moving the program forward, because we are not trying to stay the same. It is fun to coach this group. They are coachable, their attitude and effort is outstanding, and they are getting a lot of reps and coaches are getting to coach.”

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The Jackets return quarterback Javin ‘NuNu’ Whatley, a special athlete. “He can do a lot of things for us and he’s a big part of the team,” Parson says. “Then you have players like DL/OL Sherman Davis, WR/DB Mehiji Floyd, RB/DB Jai Penson, and LB/RB Kieron Roberts, who is returning from a season-ending injury. That group has jelled really good and shown leadership qualities this offseason to give us a lot of hope of how we can push this program forward.” 

“Rockmart football has a standard,” he says. “The standard is to do what’s right. Do what’s right in the classroom, do what’s right at home, and do what’s right on the field. If they are not doing right, they won’t play.” 

Parson goes on to explain, “The bigger picture is that when they become 25, 30, 35 years old and they’re a husband and father, they’re taking that piece of what we taught and implementing it into their families. All we want is all they got, and that’s attitude and effort again, at home, in the classroom, and on the field.”

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