Wagener-Salley says goodbye to longtime football field ahead of move to new stadium

WAGENER, S.C. (WJBF)— Friday night marked the end of an era for Wagener-Salley High School as the War Eagles played their final football game at their longtime home field.

For students, alumni and school leaders, the night was about more than football. It was a chance to look back on years of memories while preparing for a new chapter.

“So today’s like the bridge. We’re closing one chapter, but we’re opening the next chapter,” Wagener-Salley Principal Rasheem Neloms said. “So right next week, we’ll be at the new stadium right across the street.”

Among those with “boots on the ground” for the final game was viral recording artist and Wagener-Salley alum 803Fresh, who returned to support his former school. Before his music career, he also played football on the field.

“Very nostalgic,” 803Fresh said. “I had to make it out tonight. I definitely have been traveling a lot, but I had to make it here tonight.”

He said the field holds plenty of memories, including the bumps and bruises that came with playing the game.

“It’s a lot of memories that I have on that field,” he said. “A lot of broken fingers, a lot of torn tendons on that field. So it feels good to be here.”

Current students also described mixed emotions about leaving the old field behind.

“I mean, it feels great because we’re getting new, so we’re getting like a nice little upgrade,” student Mekhi Perry said. “But it’s also sad because I played a whole bunch of games on this field.”

For alumni like Maurice Stroman, a member of the Class of 1999, the final game was an opportunity to celebrate one last Friday night at a place that has meant so much to the community.

“We just gonna enjoy this one last night,” Stroman said. “Have a hurrah, big bang dang doodle. Class of ’99 is the best to ever come out of Wagener-Salley, baby.”

The goodbye will be short-lived for War Eagle football fans. Wagener-Salley is preparing to move into its new athletic complex, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4.