Across the state of Georgia, this will look like any other game day. The crowds will gather, the lights will go on, the bands will play, cheerleaders will cheer and this is all before the teams take the field to play. It's another Football Friday in Georgia, but at many high schools this week the focus has been on more than the next game. More and more high school football teams and their schoolmates have been active in service and support for victims of a natural disaster.

For the past two weeks, we all have watched the devastation that Hurricane Harvey brought to the people of southeast Texas. For the families who have been displaced and lost all of their belongings, the road to recovery and rebuilding will be a long one. The floods in the Houston, Texas area left schools under water. That means some of the schools lost all classroom supplies and athletic equipment.

After watching what happened in Texas, it didn't take high school football teams around the state of Georgia very long to get busy and help. Chattahoochee Coach Vince Strine was amazed at how their relief effort came together during a holiday weekend. “School was out last Thursday through Labor Day," says Strine. “By the time Tuesday rolled around I had a box truck stacked to the top with diapers, food, water, dog food and all the supplies that we requested." In addition to that members of the Chattahoochee football team spent much of last Saturday loading water on to trucks at WSB-TV. “Kids want to help and do things like this," added Strine. “Sometimes they just need guidance in how they can help."

The Arabia Mountain Rams are off to a 3-0 start in 2017. This week D'Anthony Garrett was a little late for school but Coach Stanley Pritchett was not alarmed. Garrett took time to deliver wipes to the CBS Radio Houston Diaper Drive. "I watched it all over the news," said Garrett. “It made me feel bad that people are having to struggle due to something they have no control over." The Rams are coming off the first playoff season in school history, but Pritchett seems to be equally as proud of the leadership that is being shown. “I’m really proud of him," says Pritchett, a former Atlanta Falcon. “It means that my guys care about what's going on in society."

Kingwood High School is one of the schools in the Houston area that was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey's flood waters. The school was so badly damaged that it will be closed for restoration with no return date given. For now, the Kingwood students are attending classes in the afternoon at Summer Creek High School. There will be no football for Kingwood this week, but two teams in Henry County will honor them on September 15. It will be Union Grove vs. Locust Grove in "The Battle of the Groves.” This week t-shirts are being sold at both schools with plans for collect cash donations next Friday night.

It is idea that was initiated by Union Grove Athletic Director Kelli Smith. “One of my college friends lives in Kingwood and her children attend KHS," says Smith. “She has been texting me about how awful it is with the displacement and trying to recover." Locust Grove Athletic Director Stephen Phillips is happy to be on board with Smith using their big game for a great cause. "She asked if we would be interested in going in and doing a shirt for our game to help Houston and of course I agreed," says Phillips. “It has been a great success so far."

On the other side of Henry County, Hampton High School has been busy with Hurricane relief efforts leading up to their game against Woodland this evening. It started as a community effort to collect supplies and donations that made its way to the school and Athletic Director Britt Morton who was happy to join in. “Anybody who brings items to the school will get 2 dollars off their game ticket," says Morton. "You never know when we could be in the same predicament."

Remember, the football field is an extension of the classroom, another place to learn, and the lessons from hurricane relief will be many. "I try to teach them to play for a bigger cause than yourself and live life for a bigger cause than yourself," says Vince Strine of Chattahoochee. "It's a bigger world out there than just Hampton, Georgia," says Morton. "They really jumped on board with it and we are really proud of them." All of our coaches are committed to creating athletes with servant's hearts," says Kelli Smith of Union Grove. "They feel like they are helping out someone who needs it more than them right now. I've been impressed with their awareness and giving spirit."

With Hurricane Irma bound for Florida, Hampton has reached out to those who are evacuating to Metro Atlanta and Atlanta Motor Speedway and invited them to come to this evening's game against Woodland free of charge.

It makes sense doesn't it? That Georgia would find a way to show support for Texas and Florida using something that all three states hold so dear. A passion for high school football is a common thread that links the three states in a very special way. "Football is how we bring everybody together," says Morton. “When you know that you will have thousands of people together at a venue, why not do something special for others. When it comes to Texas, Florida and Georgia, It's just what we do.”