Johns Creek’s first football game ever was a rousing success on the scoreboard – a 24-12 victory over the junior varsity team from Langston Hughes – but the Gladiators have a few things to learn about this high school football business.

Traffic backed up on State Bridge Road as  perhaps a larger than expected turnout tested the campus parking scheme. Much of the home crowd missed the school’s first piece of tradition, the Gladiator Walk, in which the football team walks out on a gold carpet and each player reaches in to grab some authentic Coliseum field dirt.

The public address announcer in the press box repeatedly called the team the Titans and dutifully called himself out with an apology. The school heard its fight song for the first time, written and played by the 23-piece Marching Band. Ten years down the road though, no one will remember the things that went wrong, they’ll only remember that the first football game at Johns Creek High School was a successful one.

Clockwise from top: Jack Deweese (16), Austin Poncelet (5), Corey Vaughn (50) and Joey Shepard (75) start the first post-game party. No. 42 Freddie Ortiz scores the first TD in school history thanks to some timely blocking by Forrest Montet (72). The Cheerleaders hold on tight as the Johns Creek football team rips through their welcoming banner. Head Coach Mike Cloy gives his team their first post-game chat. His face may not say it, but he’s giving a victory speech.