On September 24th, Homecoming returned in its full force to Covenant College. The homecoming soccer game is a staple of life at Covenant and for many, they have never seen a “true homecoming” in their Covenant careers. This is thanks to the COVID year in 2020 and then last year due to rain, the game was moved down the mountain to Chattanooga Christian School. This year however, the homecoming game returned to its rightful place, on Scotland Yard, with a full crowd, not one separated by social distancing, or guarded with masks, but united under the desire to watch their Scots succeed. Weston Marshall ‘24 says “It was ecstatic, hearing the roars of our friends, family, and the rest of the school: as they band together as one unit, to support the team, is an incomparable feeling”
The Festivities kicked off in the morning with alumni soccer games, followed in the afternoon by the real deal: the festivities at Scotland Yard. A crowded of students, parents and alumni marched down from the Carter Portico, led by Covenant’s bagpipers. Fans in all forms of regalia, many sporting Covenant shirts, some with facepaint, some in kilts, and even a student carrying a bear head.
The march ended in Scotland Yard where there were food vendors, students and alumni selling art, and of course, the soccer field, where the night’s main events would take place.
The Girls soccer team kicked it off with a thrilling match against LaGrange, that ultimately culminated in an unsatisfying 1-1 tie. It was an incredibly played game by the “Daughters of Scotland” and they battled a very good LaGrange team.
The Men’s soccer game was not nearly as low scoring. In a thrilling manner the Scots took a 2-0 lead but eventually the game was tied up at 3-3 going into the final ten minutes. With 5 minutes left, Mercer Stout ‘23 dove to head the ball in to go up one and the dea was sealed by Whitt Tisdale ‘26 in the 89th minute. The crowd was uncontrollable when Tisdale buried the ball to seal the win.
It is estimated that around 2,000 fans attended the games that saturday. When asked what it was like to play in front of a crowd such as that one Knox Gibson ‘24 said “Honestly it genuinely was surreal. I enjoyed just warming up and having the atmosphere with the music playing and everyone in the stand swatching and having a good time. It was joyful and I was thankful to be in that place in that moment in time. It felt like a gift.” Many others felt the same way.
Homecoming is the most incredible experience Covenant provides, however many more soccer games are to come this year, including the conference tournament where both the men and the women will be defending their conference titles.