JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Edward H. White High School is all decked out in green and gold for homecoming and its 50th anniversary.
Part of the celebration is of the football team, its history, and goals for the future.
The year was 1971, and the original Ed White football team hit the field. The program continued to grow through the 1980s.
"This is the 50th anniversary of the school's existence," said Lawrence Johnson, Ed White High School head football coach.
Festivities are underway to celebrate 50 years of touchdowns.
"It's kind of a special occasion, and it's homecoming this week, so it kind of works together. It's the 50th homecoming for Ed White," Johnson said.
Fifty years of football history and legacy is something the Commanders are proud of with big aspirations for the future.
"We've traditionally had a very strong football program. We're kind of moving our way back into that now," Johnson said. "We want to be a championship-level program. We want to have our kids graduate and have an opportunity to go to college."
Ed White High School head football coach Lawrence Johnson said the team brings players, coaches, and the westside community together.
"It's a family atmosphere," Johnson said. "Everyone has each other's backs, so they're kind of working hard together."
It's a family affair and tradition for many of the players.
Christian Ellis is a star running back. He switched schools to play for Ed White and honor his mother.
"My mother actually went to Ed White, and she's battling cancer. For me, this is something special I wanted to do for her. I wanted to come to her alma mater and her old school, and I wanted to show out and ball out and bring a state championship and really for her to see me in those colors," Christian Ellis said.
Davaughn Patterson is a junior, and he hits the field as a running back for the Commanders.
"My whole family, we came through Ed White, so of course growing up I wanted to be playing for Ed White, wearing that Commander jersey on the sidelines, playing," Davaughn Patterson said.
The team hopes to build its own legacy for the next 50 years.
"We always want to win the state championship, but we take it one day at a time," Johnson said. "We always want to go as far as we can, and each year we want to get a little bit better than the last year."