Rome High School bus carrying football players flips, hospitals placed on alert for injuries

A Rome (Ga.) bus carrying high school football players flipped on Ga. 101 Thursday night, according to the Coosa Valley News. Local hospitals have been placed on alert for injuries.

Rome City Schools confirmed the crash, which occurred as the Wolves were returning from a scrimmage at Rockmart. All students and staff were accounted for, the school said.

“A school bus has been involved in a wreck on Highway 101 returning from the football scrimmage,” the school said in a Facebook post. “All students and staff have been accounted for and emergency services are on the scene. We will provide updates as soon as they become available.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the crash took place shortly before 11 p.m. ET about two miles northwest of Aragon. Police said at least two people were injured in the accident, which took place near the intersection of Old Rome Road and Doc Moates Road on Ga. 101, according to Polk Today. They were taken to local hospitals for further evaluation.

Rome City Schools later confirmed buses were back on the road at approx. 11:45 p.m. ET. They were expected to arrive back at Rome High School at approx. 12:15 a.m. Friday morning.

Rome enters 2024 as one of Georgia’s top programs

Rome is expected to be one of the top programs in the state of Georgia this season and came in at No. 9 in the Top 25 rankings, according to the Massey Ratings – a model that combines statistics and ratings such as offensive and defensive power, as well home field advantage and strength of schedule. Georgia also has 13 of the top 100 programs in the country this season, including the No. 1 team in the state, Colquitt County.

The Massey Ratings also project the Wolves to go 11-1 this season, with the only projected loss coming to Carrollton, which is the No. 5-ranked program in the state. In next week’s opening game, Rome is projected to defeat Fairburn Creekside 35-18 on the road. Thursday’s scrimmage was a final tune-up for that matchup.

Rome’s roster is highlighted by star linebacker Jaedon Harmon. A four-star prospect, he is the No. 166 overall player and No. 20 player in the state out of the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Three-star linebacker and Boston College safety commit Rae Sykes Jr. is also a key part of the defense this season.