The annual Athens vs. Cullman game won’t just be the renewal of a rivalry, but also the chance to honor history.

The 1972 Athens Golden Eagles football team, the first undefeated regular season team in the history of the school, will be honored during pregame of next week’s home game against the Cullman Bearcats.

It is the 50th anniversary of the historic group. To honor them, there will be a moment of recognition before the game begins, as well as a welcome tent set up at 5:30 p.m. at Larry McCoy Field.

There will be a special reserved seating location in the stadium for the individuals, and all players, coaches, managers and cheerleaders from the team are invited to return home for the recognition.

Coincidentally, legendary head coach Larry McCoy will be one of the individuals recognized, as he was in the middle of his years of coaching the Golden Eagles in 1972, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society’s online database.

That 1972 season saw Athens go a perfect 10-0 in the regular season, defeating rivals such as Cullman, Decatur and Hartselle along the way.

Furthermore, the team would end up winning in the first round of the playoffs, their first playoff win in history, according to current Athens head coach Cody Gross and online football sources.

“I am a big tradition guy,” Gross said. “50 years, that’s pretty special. I want our players to understand those traditions that we talk about a lot. We have former players come in and talk. There are guys who were on that (‘72) team who are still active in our program.”

Some of the men still active in the program include McCoy and Judge Jimmy Woodroof.

This also includes Paul Parker, who Gross called a “stud.”

The significance of playing Cullman in recognition of the ‘72 Athens team is that the Golden Eagles and Bearcats are big rivals dating back to those days as well, and the ‘72 Cullman team is widely regarded as one of their best teams of all time, finishing 11-2 on the season.

The Golden Eagles would defeat Cullman in the regular season by a final score of 23-13 in a home game for Athens.

After their undefeated regular season, Athens would take on Thompson High School in the first round of the playoffs, defeating them as well, by a final score of 26-12.

However, the Bearcats would get their revenge by defeating Athens in the second round of the playoffs to split the series with the Golden Eagles on the year.

That Cullman team would lose to Colbert County in the championship game. According to Gross, that Colbert County team is widely regarded as one of the best teams in Alabama high school football history, as they went 13-0 in 1972.

Their run of an undefeated regular season included a four-game stretch in the middle of the season where the Golden Eagles did not let their opponents score more than single digits – coming against Deshler, Sheffield, Austin and Guntersville.

The defense only gave up 20-plus points twice all season, in the first game of the regular season in a 36-22 win over Hartselle, and in the last game of the regular season, which was a 41-20 win over Pell City High School.

The 1970’s were good to the Golden Eagles, as they would go on to have historic seasons in 1975 and 1976, to name a couple.

Both the 1975 and 1976 teams made it to the state championship game, with the 1975 team being the first 12-win season in program history.

According to coach Gross, there will be 50th anniversary celebrations for those legendary teams as well.

Gross may not have been alive during the 1972 season, but he knows the significance of it to the Athens community and to the history of Golden Eagles football.

“I have heard a lot of things about that year, and I wasn’t even born,” Gross said. “All that stuff is real cool to me and again I think our kids need to understand the tradition. I think it is pretty neat and kind of honoring that rivalry and how tough those two teams were (that season).”

Athens is on a bye week this week, giving them two weeks to prepare for the visiting Bearcats for their game Friday, September 30.

Updates on the game and the pregame recognition of the historic 1972 football team will be provided.