Unusual Nicknames: Central High School Volunteers

For nearly a century, the football rivalry between Clay County and Lineville high schools divided a small corner of east-central Alabama. In 2012, however, two became one as the schools merged into Central High School of Clay County, creating a new identity and a nickname that would soon become a source of pride: the Volunteers.

Before the formation of Central High School, Lineville and Clay County high schools — located just five miles apart — played each other in the “Clay Bowl” annually since 1922. The final meeting on the football field came in September 2012.

While the “Volunteers” name was adopted for the new school, there was no physical representation of the mascot until several years later.

In 2020, “Hero the Volunteer” was created through a drawing contest at the school. Students of all ages participated, and the winning entry depicted a mascot crossed between a Minuteman and a Patriot.

In media interviews that year, athletes and coaches said having a physical representation meant a lot to the school because it helped give the Volunteers more of an identity.

While Central is a fairly new school, it has proven a dominant force on the gridiron.

Danny Horn, head football coach of the Volunteers, leads the program and is the winningest coach in Alabama high school football history, with more than 375 victories. He graduated from Clay County in 1980 and coached at the school from 1989 to 2008 before returning in 2018 to lead the new school, winning back-to-back state titles in 2018 and 2019.

High school sports have a unique way of bringing people together no matter their past, and the Volunteers are a prime example of that.

Jordan Morey is manager of communications and media relations for the NFHS.