ASHEVILLE, N.C. — High school football fans in Canton lined the streets Friday evening to watch players enter their home stadium for the first time in two years.

“It means so much to this town, for one, and then our boys have been through so much, all of these students have been through so much," said Mark Hyman, who played for Pisgah High School for four years. "It’s just amazing to even be here.”

After a long wait and a lot of hard work, the field is ready for football once again. The stadium was damaged in August 2021, when the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred pushed through the area, causing widespread flooding.

Hyman remains a Black Bears superfan and says the Friday games are a part of his life.

“Just the camaraderie of the guys and the small town, they just get behind you and it’s just amazing to play for the Bears,” he said.

Hyman remembers tailgating at Bears games in 2005, when he, his father-in-law and brother started a tradition.

“We would wear cut-off shirts and straw hats and shorts, and that’s what we’d wear. Cold weather, it didn’t matter,” he said.

For Hyman and the Canton community, these games have been a part of their weeks for years.

“I’ve been going to games every Friday since I was little. And every Friday, that’s just what you do, you go to ballgames," Hyman said.

Friday’s game was special — the whistle from Canton’s 115-year-old paper mill, which closed in June, blew at the start, after Gov. Roy Cooper's coin toss.

Hyman has another reason to be excited — his son is starting for his third year.

“Extremely proud and it’s not just him, it’s this whole team," Hyman said. "All of them are sons to me.” 

The next home game is at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1 against Hampton High School.