After three seasons of “addition by subtraction” — taking a step back to compete in eight-man football as a means of buying time for roster numbers to improve — Grace Academy has built enough momentum to begin a return to normal.
With a steady increase in school enrollment, longtime Golden Eagles football coach and athletic director Bob Ateca said the program is set to go back to 11-man competition next fall, with plans to rejoin TSSAA region play in 2025.
“I asked the team their opinion, and it was unanimous that they want to play 11-man football again,” Ateca said. “We feel better about where we are numbers-wise, but, honestly, it was the players who drove this decision.”
When a tornado leveled the entire campus in the spring of 2020, it also damaged the future of the school’s overall athletic program. With an enrollment of around 150 in grades 9-12 at the time of the tornado, depth and overall numbers on the football roster was already an obstacle for Grace.
But after the devastating storm damage and without the benefit of academic or athletic facilities, fewer new students were enrolling, which compounded that challenge.