‘A tradition of winning’: The history behind Commerce football’s milestone victory – Online Athens

Chris Starrs| Athens Banner-Herald

Commerces 10-0 season-opening victory last Friday over Banks County had all kinds of historical implications.

The win was the first in the tenure of new coach Mark Hollars, who came to Commerce after five seasons at North Cobb Christian. The evening also featured the football debut of place-kicker Ivy Tolbert, a soccer standout who kicked anextra point and a 27-yard field goal, the first female football player to put points on the board at Tiger Field at Ray Lamb Stadium.

The victory was also the 630thin the 96-year history of Commerce High School. According to the Georgia High School Football Historians, the Tigers are the 16thwinningest program in state football history. Commerce has also captured two state championships and 18 region titles.

But win No. 630 was the last thing on Hollars mind when Commerce took the field last weekend.

I had a vague idea of it, said Hollars. I knew we were in that ballpark but we were keeping our focus on trying to get better every day and making sure we were fundamentally sound so that when game time came around wed have the chance to win. … Obviously its great for our school and our community to hit that milestone.

Senior fullback Dreylan Martin also knew the team was on the precipice of an historic victory, but getting the 2022 campaign off to a good start against a longtime rival was infinitely more critical.

We were very aware it was a big game, said Martin, a Banner-Herald Terrific 20 selection who ran for 105 yards and a 71-yard touchdown against Banks County. We knew it was a championship game for Banks County and we were focused on being Commerce and doing the things Commerce does, and thats what we did throughout the game. We really werent thinking about (630). We were thinking about going out there and doing our jobs, and the victory would come with that.

Were very excited to say we won and we won the schools 630thgame. And it was big to win coach Hollars first game as head coach of the Tigers. Were just very excited it wasnt the prettiest win, but at the end of the day, a wins a win.

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Jeff Prickett, who served as the teams statistician for 45 years before retiring in 2016, said he was pleased but not surprised to see Commerce earn its 630thtriumph.

Its a tradition, said Prickett, who saw his first Commerce game in 1953 when he was 8 years old (and for the record, Prickett said the Tigers defeated Oglethorpe County that night). Commerce is a football-crazy town, just like Jefferson is.

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Having seen 669 Commerce games (he missed missed 12 games from 1970 to 2016), Prickett said he believes a key component of the Tigers success has been its consistency in coaching. In the last 54 years, Commerce has had but five head football coaches Ray Lamb (1967-1988), Steve Savage (1989-2010), Marvin Justice (2011-2012), Michael Brown (2013-2020) and Hollars.

Weve developed a tradition of winning, primarily because our coaches stay here so long, said Prickett, who also noted that Fridays tussle was the first time Commerce kicked off at home at 7:30 p.m. for a regular-season game since 1977. Coach Lamb was here 22 years, coach Savage was here 22 years and coach Brown was here eight years. And we had coaches before them with tenures of five or six years or more.

Some schools are basketball schools. Some schools are baseball schools. Commerce is pretty good in a lot of sports, but we have been very good in wrestling and in football. When you have coaching longevity, it tends to build that kind of rapport with players and parents. We hardly ever had a Division I prospect but our coaches have had the ability to mold great teams. Its something the community thrives on.

Like Prickett, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Martin (who rushed for 858 yards and a dozen touchdowns in 2020) grew up watching Commerce Tigers football and dreamed of the day hed don the black and gold.

My first Commerce game was when I was 7 years old and in my first year playing rec football and Commerce was playing Jefferson at home, said Martin, whose uncle Trey Martin played linebacker on Commerces 2000 state championship team. I had to be there; my parents brought me and I just fell in love with the experience. Ever since then, Ive wanted to play on Friday nights just like those guys were doing when I was young and watching.

My uncle is always in my ear, telling me how special Commerce football is. Its an honor for me and the team to be part of the 630thwin. Its amazing to say we were the team that won the 630thgame and its quite an accomplishment by the brotherhood.

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Hollars took the honor concept one step further.

It's an honor to lead this program. Im so thankful that coach Lamb comes around every week and coach Savage comes around and weve got guys here that help you understand the tradition and the culture, he said. Ive got four coaches on my staff that played here and have been here for a long time.

We have a sign in the locker room that was here long before I got here and it basically challenges us to give our all for Commerce every day, and you dont want to let those guys down. I dont want to let coach Lamb or coach Savage down. When you take this job it comes with responsibility and you work hard to maintain the standard that was set before you get here.

The celebration of win No. 630 was brief as everybody went back to work Monday to begin plotting win No. 631, which might have as the Tigers were scheduled to travelto Blairsville before Union County (0-1) called the matchup off due to COVID-related issues within the school. Commerce first played Union County in 1979 and hold a 14-0 all-time mark against the Panthers.

We enjoyed the win on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday its back to work and back to the drawing board to getting better and preparing for the next opponent, said Martin.

At this time of year the emphasis has to be on improvement, said Hollars. Good teams get better each week, but especially early in the year, we have to get better every single day right now. Our emphasis is on ourselves and how we can get better. If we do that, then every Friday night we have a chance. Theres plenty for us to clean up and improve upon and thankfully were healthy.

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'A tradition of winning': The history behind Commerce football's milestone victory - Online Athens