FACES OF THE GLORY YEARS
BRADY SIGLER
1985 CCHS varsity football defensive backs coach
Brady Sigler was the varsity defensive backs coach during the 1985 state championship season. Sigler joined the Gladiators in the fall of 1984, originally coaching wide receivers before switching to coaching defensive backs at Henderson’s request. Sigler spent two full seasons at CCHS between 1984 and 1986. He came back to CCHS in 2002 to serve as defensive coordinator and strength coach. His wife, Melanie, who worked at CCHS from 2002 to 2004 as a special education department teacher, now serves as the principal at Morgan County High School. After he left CCHS, Sigler served as the assistant football and track coach in Oconee County High School from 2004 to 2006, where his track team finished second in the state. In 2023, he retired from his last school, Buford High School in Gwinnett County, which is currently ranked No. 2 in Georgia football, where he served as an assistant coach.
The 1985 varsity football team was a real close-knit group. They’d been playing youth ball together, baseball together (and) track together. They were probably the most cohesive unit that believed in each other and cared for each other that I’ve been around. They were winners. They were competitors. But, I think the biggest thing was they believed in themselves, and all of us, the coaches and the players.
Derek Dooley
1985 CCHS varsity football tight end
Derek Dooley was a tight end of CCHS’s 1985 state championship football team under Henderson. Born in Athens, Dooley is now a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. He continued his football career as a walk-on wide receiver at the University of Virginia and contributed to three bowl-game appearances and an ACC championship in 1989 before earning his Juris Doctor from the UGA School of Law in 1994. He became a practicing lawyer at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Atlanta. Dooley began his coaching career at UGA in 1996, where his father served as athletic director, and then coached at Louisiana State University, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and served as head coach at Louisiana Tech University from 2007-2009 and the University of Tennessee from 2010-2012. During the 2008 season at Louisiana Tech, his team went 8-5 and won the Independence Bowl: the program’s first bowl victory in over 30 years.
When I was a player on the 1985 varsity football team, Coach Henderson made you believe that you were the greatest player ever to walk the planet and that we had the greatest weight room in the country and the greatest football stadium in the world. He had an incredible belief and enthusiasm that made young people do things they never dreamed were possible. Now, as I became a coach, there were many times when I thought: "What would Coach Henderson do?"
Robbie Kamerschen
1985 CCHS varsity football quarterback
As the starting quarterback and a senior leader, 1986 CCHS graduate Robbie Kamerschen led the 1985 CCHS football team to a 15–0 season and the win of the 1985 state championship under Henderson. After graduating from CCHS, Kamerschen attended Stanford University, where he played football for two years and baseball for all four years of his undergraduate career. In his collegiate baseball career, he contributed to two NCAA national championships in 1987 and 1988. After college, he attended the UGA School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude in early 1990s, when he also served on the Georgia Law Review. Today, Kamerschen is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig in Atlanta, serving as shareholder and co-chair of the Georgia Government Law & Policy Group. He was recognized as a national finalist by Chambers and Partners for “Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Diversity in the Legal Profession.”
I think people get jealous when we talk about our time at Clarke Central. We loved it. It was such a special era. The school had only been integrated about 10 years before, and football really brought everyone together. We were all close: Black, white, rich, poor, it didn’t matter. When you pulled that red and gold jersey over your head, you were a Gladiator. That meant everything to us back then.
DAVID PERNO
CCHS head varsity football coach
As the starting fullback and a team leader, David Perno was one of 37 seniors who helped achieve Clarke Central High School’s third state championship under head varsity football coach Billy Henderson in the wake of the stinging loss of the 1984 state title to Valdosta High School. Upon graduating high school, he began his collegiate baseball career at Middle Georgia College in 1987 before he transferred to the University of Georgia, where he played from 1988-91. While at UGA, he was part of the team that won the 1990 College World Series Championship. After his days as a player, Perno moved into coaching and returned to UGA where he served as the head baseball coach from 2002-13. In December 2015, Perno returned back to CCHS as the head varsity football coach and has led the football program, finishing with the highest record of 10–3 and a region record of 7–0 in 2021-22.
As a coach now, I see Coach Henderson’s influence in almost everything we do. He taught us discipline, unity, and mental toughness, and those are still the foundation of our program. I’ve carried his standards into my own coaching: how we prepare, how we treat players and how we handle adversity. Even though times have changed, the values he instilled in us never have.
Jefferey Mack
1985 CCHS varsity football free safety and backup quarterback
Graduating from CCHS in 1987, Jefferey Mack was a junior on the 1985 varsity football team, playing free safety and backup quarterback. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from South Carolina State University in 1992, where he played as wide receiver for three years and mentored local youth. After college, Mack returned to CCHS as a paraprofessional and assistant varsity football coach under Billy Henderson. From 1994 to 1999, Mack served as a public safety officer for the Athens Housing Authority and in 1999, he entered law enforcement with the Athens-Clarke County government. He now serves as chief investigator for the Solicitor General’s Office. In 2007, he founded the Athens Youth Academy, offering sports and tutoring programs for local youth. He and his wife, Lisa Mack, volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club of Athens Rocksprings branch, and all three of their children are CCHS graduates.
The community is outstanding, but we’ve lost our way a little. We need to get back to the little things like teaching, standing up for our youth and building unity again. Coach Henderson created a culture where everyone came together. We worked as one. If we can return to that spirit and remember what brought us together in the first place, we can save a lot of kids. That’s part of why I started the Athens Youth Academy back in 2007. I wanted to give kids a place to go, something positive to be part of.
FACES OF THE GLORY YEARS
Ireland McCage
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Transcript
FACES OF THE GLORY YEARS
BRADY SIGLER
1985 CCHS varsity football defensive backs coach
Brady Sigler was the varsity defensive backs coach during the 1985 state championship season. Sigler joined the Gladiators in the fall of 1984, originally coaching wide receivers before switching to coaching defensive backs at Henderson’s request. Sigler spent two full seasons at CCHS between 1984 and 1986. He came back to CCHS in 2002 to serve as defensive coordinator and strength coach. His wife, Melanie, who worked at CCHS from 2002 to 2004 as a special education department teacher, now serves as the principal at Morgan County High School. After he left CCHS, Sigler served as the assistant football and track coach in Oconee County High School from 2004 to 2006, where his track team finished second in the state. In 2023, he retired from his last school, Buford High School in Gwinnett County, which is currently ranked No. 2 in Georgia football, where he served as an assistant coach.
The 1985 varsity football team was a real close-knit group. They’d been playing youth ball together, baseball together (and) track together. They were probably the most cohesive unit that believed in each other and cared for each other that I’ve been around. They were winners. They were competitors. But, I think the biggest thing was they believed in themselves, and all of us, the coaches and the players.
Derek Dooley
1985 CCHS varsity football tight end
Derek Dooley was a tight end of CCHS’s 1985 state championship football team under Henderson. Born in Athens, Dooley is now a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. He continued his football career as a walk-on wide receiver at the University of Virginia and contributed to three bowl-game appearances and an ACC championship in 1989 before earning his Juris Doctor from the UGA School of Law in 1994. He became a practicing lawyer at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Atlanta. Dooley began his coaching career at UGA in 1996, where his father served as athletic director, and then coached at Louisiana State University, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and served as head coach at Louisiana Tech University from 2007-2009 and the University of Tennessee from 2010-2012. During the 2008 season at Louisiana Tech, his team went 8-5 and won the Independence Bowl: the program’s first bowl victory in over 30 years.
When I was a player on the 1985 varsity football team, Coach Henderson made you believe that you were the greatest player ever to walk the planet and that we had the greatest weight room in the country and the greatest football stadium in the world. He had an incredible belief and enthusiasm that made young people do things they never dreamed were possible. Now, as I became a coach, there were many times when I thought: "What would Coach Henderson do?"
Robbie Kamerschen
1985 CCHS varsity football quarterback
As the starting quarterback and a senior leader, 1986 CCHS graduate Robbie Kamerschen led the 1985 CCHS football team to a 15–0 season and the win of the 1985 state championship under Henderson. After graduating from CCHS, Kamerschen attended Stanford University, where he played football for two years and baseball for all four years of his undergraduate career. In his collegiate baseball career, he contributed to two NCAA national championships in 1987 and 1988. After college, he attended the UGA School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude in early 1990s, when he also served on the Georgia Law Review. Today, Kamerschen is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig in Atlanta, serving as shareholder and co-chair of the Georgia Government Law & Policy Group. He was recognized as a national finalist by Chambers and Partners for “Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Diversity in the Legal Profession.”
I think people get jealous when we talk about our time at Clarke Central. We loved it. It was such a special era. The school had only been integrated about 10 years before, and football really brought everyone together. We were all close: Black, white, rich, poor, it didn’t matter. When you pulled that red and gold jersey over your head, you were a Gladiator. That meant everything to us back then.
DAVID PERNO
CCHS head varsity football coach
As the starting fullback and a team leader, David Perno was one of 37 seniors who helped achieve Clarke Central High School’s third state championship under head varsity football coach Billy Henderson in the wake of the stinging loss of the 1984 state title to Valdosta High School. Upon graduating high school, he began his collegiate baseball career at Middle Georgia College in 1987 before he transferred to the University of Georgia, where he played from 1988-91. While at UGA, he was part of the team that won the 1990 College World Series Championship. After his days as a player, Perno moved into coaching and returned to UGA where he served as the head baseball coach from 2002-13. In December 2015, Perno returned back to CCHS as the head varsity football coach and has led the football program, finishing with the highest record of 10–3 and a region record of 7–0 in 2021-22.
As a coach now, I see Coach Henderson’s influence in almost everything we do. He taught us discipline, unity, and mental toughness, and those are still the foundation of our program. I’ve carried his standards into my own coaching: how we prepare, how we treat players and how we handle adversity. Even though times have changed, the values he instilled in us never have.
Jefferey Mack
1985 CCHS varsity football free safety and backup quarterback
Graduating from CCHS in 1987, Jefferey Mack was a junior on the 1985 varsity football team, playing free safety and backup quarterback. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from South Carolina State University in 1992, where he played as wide receiver for three years and mentored local youth. After college, Mack returned to CCHS as a paraprofessional and assistant varsity football coach under Billy Henderson. From 1994 to 1999, Mack served as a public safety officer for the Athens Housing Authority and in 1999, he entered law enforcement with the Athens-Clarke County government. He now serves as chief investigator for the Solicitor General’s Office. In 2007, he founded the Athens Youth Academy, offering sports and tutoring programs for local youth. He and his wife, Lisa Mack, volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club of Athens Rocksprings branch, and all three of their children are CCHS graduates.
The community is outstanding, but we’ve lost our way a little. We need to get back to the little things like teaching, standing up for our youth and building unity again. Coach Henderson created a culture where everyone came together. We worked as one. If we can return to that spirit and remember what brought us together in the first place, we can save a lot of kids. That’s part of why I started the Athens Youth Academy back in 2007. I wanted to give kids a place to go, something positive to be part of.