News 12 at 11 o'clock -- September 4, 2009

EVANS, Ga. -- The Lakeside High School football game against Evans High School was a packed house Friday night, but not just because of the football.

It was filled to capacity because in honor of former Panther Ryan Clark who was killed in the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. The "Marching Virginians" from Virginia Tech, came down in eight buses before heading to their game in Atlanta against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

It's been said, music soothes the soul and can take people away from everyday life and what fans saw in the "Marching Virginians" performance is something you don't see everyday.

Both of Clark's bands came together to play the national anthem with the Evans High School band before the game and at half-time the college band stole the show. The band played "Spirit of the Tech," then paid respect by playing "Amazing Grace," before honoring Ryan's fun loving personality with "The Hokie Pokie."

It was a nice sight for Letitie Clark, Ryan's mother, but it brought back memories of why everyone was there she said.

"It's kind of bittersweet because I love what's happening and I appreciate it," his mother said. "But it makes me realize again why we're here and I miss my son."

The emotional night was to raise money for the Ryan Clark Scholarship and Community award. The volunteers at the game told News 12 they had raised more than $2,000 by halftime.

A fellow Lakeside graduate, Ellie Bissel won the first annual award and felt honored to be connected to Ryan Friday, even though she never knew him she said.

"It just means so much," Bissel said. "Because I kind of have a connection with him. I kind of feel like I knew him because I heard so many good things about him."

Two people that did know him though were fellow band members Matt Bartley and Steve Rich, who both said Ryan was a great person.

"He was the most accepting person you would ever hope to meet," Rich said, who met him when he was a freshman in the band.

"He was one of the very few people of Virginia Tech, who could work his tail off and still come to band practice with a big smile on their face," Bartley said, who played with him when they were both members of the "Marching Virginians."

The band had been waiting for this performance for a while and many of the members were more excited about this than they were their regular Virginia Tech vs. Alabama game on Saturday.

""A lot of band members say that this is more important than tomorrow's game against Alabama," Bartley said. "Just because of how many lives it impacts than just for a football game."

But either way it was a night under the Lakeside High School lights that will never be forgotten for the fans or the family.