Friday nights with a team that is…”family”.
That type of bond brought the Forsyth football team to the program’s first district championship game.
“The teams that are usually the most successful are the teams that usually care about each other the most,” said Forsyth head football coach Kris Conley. ” I think that we got a pretty special bond with our guys, and TaMarkus is kind of the glue there.”
Two-way player TaMarkus Holmes closed out his junior year with 1,339 rushing yards.
“He’s one of our best players,” Conley said. “But he’s also one of our hardest workers and such a great kid.”
“In different sports, you really watch a day of film [or] watch a couple of hours of film,” said Holmes, a rising senior. “But in football, you have to prepare all week for it and just really come together.”
There are some things you just can’t prepare for. In March, Holmes’ family home burned to the ground, losing everything.
“I didn’t even grab any shoes, I just ran out the house,” Holmes said.
His family at Forsyth had his back.
“The Forsyth community has been generous and kind, and we are grateful for all the blessings that we do have,” said Holmes’ mother, Michelle Bowman.
This town rallied behind Tamarkus and his family, raising over $10,000 on a GoFundMe.
“We’re working on a rebuild now,” Bowman said.
While work is being put in on Holmes’ home, he’s also putting in the work on the football field for his senior season.
“It makes you not want to take anything for granted,” said the running back/cornerback. “And just work every day and get better.”
He took that to hear,t never missing school or practice after the setback.
“Man, not many people can handle adversity like that,” Conley said. “But, you know, Marcus did.”
Fridays will mean that much more to Tamarkus and his family during football season.
“It’s going to be amazing, it’s super exciting,” Bowman said. “I’ve always looked forward to Friday nights, but even more so now.”
“I want to rush for 2000 yards,” Holmes said. “I’m just really ready to get into this next year. I think we have a really good team coming back and coming off a district championship. I think we should make a really deep run.”
On or off the field, anything is possible with this Panther family.
