COVINGTON, Ga. — Nothing is new about Spencer Fortson roaming the sidelines of Sharp Stadium on a Friday night. He did so for 13 years as Newton’s defensive coordinator. 

However, last Friday night, there was something different. Instead of being a coordinator, Fortson was roaming the sidelines as Alcovy’s head football coach. 

The Tigers, coming off a region championship season in 2021, helped begin Fortson’s head coaching career on top with a 37-6 win over Lithonia. 

Friday’s win brought on a special feeling for Fortson. 

“It was great leaving the field with a W in the column for, not only myself, but for our players and coaches as well,” Fortson said. “It felt good to go home on Friday and celebrate with the coaches and team.” 

Fortson was handed the reins of the Tigers program when he was hired on April 27. Since then, he has led Alcovy through spring workouts, summer camps and now he’s leading it through a regular season schedule as a defending region champion. 

While Fortson celebrated a career accomplishment, his first win as a head coach, he didn’t hog the credit. He highlighted how the contributions of coaches and players’ contributions all offseason made Friday’s win possible. 

“Everybody bought into what we’re trying to do here,” Fortson said. “And as long as they continue that and push forward and do things the right way, we’ll continue to have success moving forward.” 

Fortson also admitted that being the head guy in charge felt different Friday night when the team first went onto the field. He stressed, though, that his belief in his coordinators and assistant coaches made the job easier to manage. 

“Just being on the sideline as the head coach with guys who I have trust in felt good,” Fortson said. “I trust those guys to prepare the kids to be productive and successful on the field. I have my faith in those guys, and they showed up and coached well. 

Now, the Tigers will look to give Fortson his first winning streak as a head coach this Friday. They’ll face Fortson’s former school in Newton as the battle for the Newton Cup begins. 

And, though it’s great to start 1-0, Fortson said he relayed the 24-hour rule to his team following Friday’s outcome. 

“I told the guys on Friday, we got 24 hours,” Fortson said. “After those 24 hours, we want to make sure we get back on task and prepare for the next game that is coming up this week.”