The Clarke Central High School football program is 46 years old. Over that time the Gladiators have piled up 379 victories against just 161 losses and 2 ties. The Glads have also won 16 region titles and 3 GHSA state championships with perfect seasons in 1977, 1979, and 1985. It all began back in 1970 with a solid start, an 8-2 season. Among the coaches in school history Billy Henderson stands out who led the program from 1973 until his retirement in 1995. Billy was the guy who put those 3 state championship trophies in the trophy case. And now there is a new sheriff in town, and he is from the Billy Henderson coaching tree. The new Clarke Central head football coach is David Perno. Perno used to be the head baseball coach at the University of Georgia, but way before that, he was a Gladiator player for coach Henderson. Now he has returned to where his high school athletic career began. He recently talked with GPB’s Chuck Smith who likewise played his high school ball at Clarke Central. And these two had a nice chat about David Perno’s homecoming and goals for the upcoming season.

Remember you can see the Clarke Central at Cedar Shoals game right here on GPB’s Football Fridays in Georgia, live from Athens,Georgia on September 23rd.