Northcutt Stadium is, indeed, a special place, regarded by many as the finest venue in Georgia to watch high school football. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Northcutt was dedicated October 11, 1940 as the Blue Devils hosted Fulton High. Prior to Northcutt, games were played at Brown's Park, the present-day parking lot adjacent to the stadium, and when it rained, the hard clay was tranformed into a sea of mud. The field at Northcutt was dedicated in 1995 as a tribute to French Johnson, head coach from 1956 to 1972, and the most successful MHS coach with 125 victories, including the State Championship in 1967. Northcutt Stadium's boasts a seating capacity of 8,000.
The Victory Bell
One of the more colorful characters
in MHS history was the late "Romeo" Hudgins. His daughter Martha was
the Blue Devil mascot in the late '50s, and his son Ralph was an all-state
linebacker on the '67 State Championship team. For 22 years, "Romeo"
ran the chains at MHS home games, and he always had chewing gum and
an encouraging word for the players.
In the late '50s, "Romeo" built the Victory Bell, which is rung after
every Blue Devil touchdown. At first it was on a wagon that went up
and down the sidelines; later, it was housed atop the press box; and
finally it came to rest at its current lcoation on the Blue Devil's
sideline.
"Romeo" also built the goalposts that still stand at Northcutt almost
40 years later. They were fabricated in his welding shop, and are believed
to be the first single-post goalposts in the entire state.
On August 25th, 2006, the Romeo Hudgins Victory Bell was officially retired in honor of all former players. A new Victory Bell was dedicated the same night and is believed to be forged at the same Hillsboro, Ohio foundry as the original. This sister Victory Bell started ringing in the new 2006 football season at Marietta's first home game against the Lassiter Trojans where the bell rang 33 times for the Blue Devil's final score.
Ralph Hudgins, son of Romeo Hudgins, rings the new Victory Bell.
