Gov. Cooper to kick off Pisgah football season with coin toss

Aarik Long, The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
·2 min read
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Aug. 17—North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and his top state officials have been regulars in Canton since the mill closure announcement in March.

The latest display of the state's solidarity with Canton? Cooper will deliver the coin toss Friday night at the first Pisgah football game of the season, and the first played in the home stadium in 875 days due to the flood-damaged field.

"It's a great North Carolina moment, and we're honored to have him attending as Governor," Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said.

Friday's game is a symbol of Canton's determination and unity. The team, and the Canton community as a whole, has dealt with adversity after adversity in recent years — from the Covid pandemic that disrupted the 2020 football season, to the 2021 flooding that ravaged the community, to the closure of the paper mill that's been the town's lifeblood for 118 years.

"Governor Cooper and his staff have been with us since day one, not just on the mill closing, but on the flood," Smathers said. "It's been very bipartisan. The power lies in working together."

Cooper previously visited Canton in April, giving a speech in front of Pisgah High School about the state of things in terms of the closure of the mill. He also returned in May with his wife, Kristin, to do some shopping in Canton.

Friday's game will be a landmark day for Canton, as the Bears return to Pisgah Memorial Stadium.

During the flooding, the stadium was heavily damage. From new turf having to be installed to electric work being done to make the stadium lights functional once again, the work done on Pisgah Memorial has been immeasurable to get the stadium ready for kickoff.

"Every time I see him, he asks about the community and the students, but also the field," Smathers said. "He was on that field two days after the flood. He realizes, like everyone in Haywood County, that this game is more than a game."

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with the Bears making the walk across the bridge from the field house at 5:45 p.m.