GHSA Bans Thomas County Central's horns for playoffs

Yellow Jackets fans will substitute cow bells as the noisemaker of choice when the team travels to Rome this week

The GHSL has banned the horns made famous by the fans of the Thomas County Central football team for the playoffs. / SBLive

From towns closing down on Friday night’s to pack their respective football stadium’s, to rabid student sections and fan bases trying to assert their dominance as the best around, Thomas County Central High School is no different. 

The Yellow Jackets’ signature trademark are the horns their fanbase blows from the stands, and it’s something that has come with some controversy in recent years. 

With opposing fanbases having complained about their horn usage for quite some time, it appears their complaints have reached the hands of the only folks that matter - the GHSA. 

It was announced before Round 1 of the Class 5A state playoffs that the Thomas County Central’s fan base will no longer be able to blow their horns at any of their remaining playoff games. 

They are set to travel to Rome High School for a second straight year on Friday, and they will be hornless. 

“We’ve had a couple of incidences where the soccer horns -  basically coming out of Thomas County Central - have impaired the offense’s ability and the quarterbacks ability to hear,” GHSA Assistant Director Jay Russell said at a virtual officials meeting last week. “If we get in that situation we’re gonna handle it like a banned play.”

As one could imagine, Yellow Jackets head coach Justin Rogers was none too pleased with the GHSA’s decision to ban the horns. 

“Instead of being celebrated and commended for being a tight knit community we’re being villainized,” Rogers told WCTV Sports. “They’re saying  you’re supporting your kids too much and that’s disheartening.” 

The Yellow Jackets fans aren’t taking their ball and going home, however. 

Alternatives to the horns are already in the works ahead of their trip north to Rome, and they’re coming prepared to make as much noise as they can. 

Instead of horns, Rome’s Barron Stadium will be filled with hundreds of cowbells and empty milkjugs filled with whatever makes the most amount of noise. Coins, gravel, you name it, they’re bringing it.