Opinion: Westside Championship Worth Celebrating

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Congratulations are in order for one of Anderson’s high school football teams.

When Westside High School lost its first football game back in August to BHP, little did they know it was the last loss the team would experience in route to the school, and the city’s first state championship since the Rams won it in 1969 (T.L. Hanna was runner up in 2020. 2018 and 1974).

Now they stand alone as the best of 2023.

Westside blew past most of the other opponents this season, including cross-town rival T.L. Hanna, in route to a 14-1 season that ended with them being crowned the top AAAA team in the state after defeating defending state champions South Florence on Saturday.

It was a sweet win for first-year coach Brian Lane and the Westside fans who’ve waited a long time for a state football title. Lane deserves high marks for so quickly building a championship team.

Among those fans is Anderson School District Five Superintendent Brenda Kelley, a Westside graduate who is also in her first year on the job. 

Many have seen the video of her unbridled joy cheering on the team.

"Not only do I have the great privilege to be Superintendent in Anderson Five, but I am a proud alumnus of Westside High School and to watch them bring back a state championship to Anderson was a thrilling experience," said Kelley. "The student athletes and coaches worked hard for this to happen, and our school board and administration has been diligent in providing our students with the tools needed for success. I am proud of everyone involved in this endeavor, and I want to thank the Anderson community as well for supporting our Rams!"

She’s right, most student athletes do indeed put in a lot of extra work to bring home victories. Coach Lane and his assistants led these young men to a season they will remember the rest of their lives. Meanwhile the parents, boosters and teachers who worked to make sure these players had every opportunity to succeed in class and on the field are also to be celebrated.

Wonder if a downtown parade is in order?