From Lamar County, praise for Georgia Tech’s ‘LC3’

Georgia Tech running back Qua Searcy (1) dives into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown against Georgia in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Athens, Ga. Georgia Tech won 28-27. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Credit: Mark Bradley

Credit: Mark Bradley

Georgia Tech running back Qua Searcy (1) dives into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown against Georgia in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Athens, Ga. Georgia Tech won 28-27. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

For a story about Georgia Tech A-back Qua Searcy's reflections on his game-tying touchdown against Georgia last year, we sought comment from administrators at Searcy's high school and elementary school in Lamar County. They responded after the story was published, but their comments about Searcy and fellow Lamar County High grads Lance and Lawrence Austin were too insightful not to share.

“Most of our staff members at Lamar County Elementary are diehard Georgia fans, but they could do nothing but celebrate getting beaten by a true Lamar County Trojan last year. Qua Searcy was a great student at LCES and our students still remember him when he was a Trojan. Nothing but pride here at his former elementary school for Qua and Georgia Tech!”

- Andrea Scandrett, principal, Lamar County Elementary School

“Aside from the immense amount of pride our students and community show for Qua, Lance and Lawrence and their continued football career at Georgia Tech, Qua's touchdown against Georgia last year proved to be something special here in Barnesville.

“For our students, it was the talk of the school on Monday. It seemed that all 700 of our students were Tech fans, at least for a day. Teachers were showing it in the classroom throughout the day on the screens. Much like Qua became an instant hero, his brother, who was a senior, was the most popular kid in school because of it. There are probably 10 classrooms in our school right now that have the picture of Qua leaping into the end zone hanging on the walls right now.

“Even cooler than the effect it had on our students was the effect it had in our community. Much like most rural Georgia towns, our community members bleed red and black. There were hundreds of Bulldog fans from Barnesville posting on social media about how proud they were of Qua, and that if UGA was going to lose to Tech, that's the only way they would have it. It seemed to transcend loyalty to a sports team, and it became pride in a small town. It was a rare sight to see diehard Georgia fans celebrate in that moment.

“Everyone in Barnesville cheers for the "LC3" (that's how they're referred to here) regardless of their loyalties, and it is pretty special. Our student-athletes use it as motivation and our coaches use it to make a point almost daily. Lance's "Miracle on Techwood Drive" and Qua's "Leap" will forever be a part of Lamar County athletics folklore. And, our citizens couldn't be more and more proud because they know that they're hardworking, genuinely good kids.”

- Michael Oberg, athletic director, Lamar County High School