On Sat., Oct. 23, the second annual Domecoming will take place at the Georgia Dome. Domecoming is a day full football, similar to the Corky Kell Classic, that gives eight high school football teams a chance to play in the Georgia Dome.

The idea is the brainchild of City of Atlanta Schools Athletic Director Jeff Beggs. “It’s a way to highlight our schools,” explained Beggs. “It’s very similar to the Corky Kell Classic except we are having it later in the year, which means that sometimes we may not be able to have particular matchups, but we have matchups that we believe will be fun and exciting.”

Above all, the event looks to focus on Atlanta Public schools and their homecomings. “Five of the eight schools are Atlanta public schools. Which is a huge event for our schools and at halftime they’ll be doing their homecoming festivities, thus the name Domecoming,” said Beggs.

For a section of schools that can sometimes be overlooked with all that Atlanta has to offer, this is a way for the spotlight to be put on them for a day, and more importantly, on the kids who work so hard to be a part of it. This year, the five City of Atlanta schools involved are South Atlanta, Carver, Washington, Douglass and Mays. Mays is the only of one the schools not playing its homecoming game, as they will face Douglass for their homecoming in the nightcap, which is expected to start at 8:00 p.m. The day gets kicked off early with South Atlanta taking on fellow Class 2A opponent Lovett at 11:00 a.m. Following that game, will be Carver (Atlanta) taking on Dunwoody. Washington will be playing Druid Hills and that game is scheduled to kickoff at five.

HISTORY…

Even though it is just two years old, the excitement for the event was there from the very beginning according to Beggs. “Last year the attendance for the whole day was right around 13,000 and we’re hoping that this year we can increase that to around 15,000, that’s our goal.”

Obviously, the excitement for Domecoming is built in. With the alumni population that these schools have, given the right forum and with enough coverage, the attendance of this event could increase exponentially.

Given the success of last year’s Domecoming, Beggs and all those involved are looking to take it to the next level, “[These schools] have an unbelievable alumni base. We want it to be a very special event for all of our schools.”

And Beggs is putting his money where his mouth is, with the uncertainty of hosting a new event in such a large venue like the Georgia Dome, last year many of the amenities of the Georgia Dome were not taken advantage of because of the substantial cost. Now, knowing the kind of draw Domecoming has, Beggs has upped the ante, “This year we added the matrix boards and the ribbon boards, last year they did not use those because of the cost.”

Adding these features will only get the players and the fans more excited. Allowing the kids to feel like a pro, even for just one game and for the alumni to be able to come home and see their school getting this kind of exposure will give them a great sense of pride to be a product of Atlanta public schools.

For Washington head coach Stanley Pritchett, having his school involved with an event like this means a lot. “It’s a great honor… I think we might be the closest school to the Georgia Dome and for us to play our homecoming game there is very special,” Pritchett went on to say that, “We have a huge alumni base and its going to be a good crowd and hopefully be a good game.”

Washington will take advantage of their proximity to the Dome and offer its fans a truly wonderful experience. “Washington High School is going to march, the band and their alumni, a lot of people will march from the high school to the dome,” said Beggs. The opportunity for a high school to have a homecoming parade down Martin Luther King Drive is an incredible thing to be involved with. Pritchett said of the parade, “It lets the fans tailgate and rally, and get ready for the football game.”

This goes beyond football and is an opportunity for many organizations in the school to celebrate. Carver head coach Darren Myles said, “It’s something different for the cheerleaders, the band members, and the dance and flag teams. For all of those guys it will be a lifelong memory.”

PLAYING IN THE DOME…

Under all of the festivities, parades and parties, there are four football games that hold a lot of importance for the teams involved. The opportunity these kids have to play in a venue of this size is a once in a lifetime chance.

“You’ve got players who to my knowledge have never had the opportunity to play in an event like this,” said Myles.

He isn’t the only coach who feels that way.

“It’s special for the guys to play in the facility the Atlanta Falcons play in,” said Pritchett. “Once guys get a chance to play in [the dome] it makes them play harder and I guess it makes them feel like professionals for a day.”

It is easy to see why these kids would be excited, and sometimes containing that excitement can be the hardest thing. “Last year we had an opportunity to play in this game,” said Myles. “We had a lot of guys that were not only excited but they were a little nervous at the same time. Once we got to the Dome and I said ‘who has to use the restroom?’ Everyone had to use the restroom.”

This is an exciting event for everyone involved; Domecoming offers an opportunity for those schools that might not always be noticed to have their moment in the sun as well.