Flip Phones and Friday Night Dominance: Northside High on November 5 (2006-2016)
There was a distinct shift in the air at Northside High once the late 2000s rolled around. We traded in our cassette tapes for early iPods, and everyone was suddenly an expert at texting on a T9 Motorola Razr without ever taking it out of their pocket during first period. But one thing that hadn't changed was the absolute dominance of Eagle football. Between 2006 and 2016, a crisp November morning meant the playoffs were right around the corner, and the entire student body was walking the halls with an undeniable swagger.
Even without a physical clipping from the vault today, I can tell you exactly what the Northside Eagle's Eye was likely printing around November 5 in those years: "Eagles prime for another deep playoff run as the student section prepares for a blue-out on Green Street." Some things never go out of style, and beating up on local rivals while chasing a state championship ring is definitely one of them.
Meanwhile in Georgia History
Back on November 5, 2008, the entire state of Georgia was still trying to catch its breath after a monumental and exhausting election day. The local political machines were shifting into overdrive because U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss had just been forced into a high-stakes runoff election. If being confused could be monetized, I would want to be your bank, because figuring out the endless loop of Georgia political TV ads back then was enough to drive a sane man crazy.
Today's History Sidebar
Pages & Stages: If you were looking for some entertainment to escape the political commercials on this crisp Thursday back in early November 2007, you were in very good company. The legendary band, the Eagles, had just released their first studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, and it was sitting comfortably at the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. It seems like the musical Eagles were dominating the charts at the exact same time our Northside Eagles were dominating the gridiron.
The Retrospective
Let me say it again... the technology gets smaller and the fashion gets a little less ridiculous, but the pure adrenaline of Southern high school rivalries is eternal. Just because you can Google expert, don't mean you are one—but you don't need a search engine to know that when Northside prepares for a playoff run, the whole city stops to watch.