Sports
Royal Oak Fans Rewarded with Long-Awaited Victory
Spirits run high for students, administrators, parents and community members after dramatic win at home Thursday.
Dephann Edwards-Hatchett has sat through plenty of Royal Oak football losses, so she was ready for a big win for her son and the rest of the Ravens team.
She and other football fans were overcome with emotion after
"I'm ecstatic," said Edwards-Hatchett, whose son Justin "JT" Hatchett, a senior, made the game-saving tackle when Lake Shore decided to go for a potentially game-winning two-point conversion late in the game.
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"I've been sitting in the bleachers watching for four years and watching these boys struggle and it's the best birthday present ever.
"I saw the scrimmage last week and I could tell there was going to be a difference at this game."
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Justin's aunt, Anita Gandy, brought her daughter Sydney to cheer the team to a win. "I was a little worried before the game, but I got here and they had already scored so I was optimistic right there," Gandy said.
Leading up to the game, there was anticipation and hope, but also some anxiety.
ROHS Athletic Director Brian Gordon knew his new football coach, Jeff Hill, had the team ready; still, he was still a bit concerned before the game.
"I was a little anxious, but after watching the kids and Jeff and his staff prepare from the moment he got the job until the moment he won this game – it goes to show hard work certainly does pay off," Gordon said.
New Royal Oak school district Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin was at the stadium Thursday for his first game. "It's a great new beginning for the program," he said. "And it's a new beginning for the school year."
Pete Walsh and his wife Maureen were in the stands to cheer the team and their daughter Winnie, a freshman member of the color guard.
"I was confident," he said. "We have a new football coach, new members in the band and it was totally awesome when they stopped them on that extra point. How much better can it get?"
After the game, to congratulate the team. "It was a great night and it was great that they let the kids go out there," Maureen Walsh said.
The McRobb family – Jack and Judy and their three kids – were at Thursday's game and have sat through plenty of losses, too.
"It's great to see this team win," Jack McRobb said. "They played their hearts out."
