VALDOSTA — As Valdosta State played its first football game Saturday, Tropical Storm Fay made sure there was plenty of water, dumping inches on the South Georgia area throughout the weekend.
The storm left water levels way above normal, debris scattered across roads and lawns, and saturation which is still evident days later.
With the area bracing for the storm, the Blazers still managed to get in a decisive 56-3 victory against Fort Valley State, playing through the wind and rain.
For one player in particular, playing in the tropical storm seemed more an act of defiance than anything else.
VSU freshman, Isaiah Jupiter strapped on his helmet for his first college football game, performing well, catching a pass in his debut. But more important than his one reception, was the fact that he was playing in the storm at all.
Jupiter spent the last three years attending Berkmar High School in Lilburn thanks to a decision which most likely saved his life.
On Aug. 28, 2005, Jupiter’s mother and father decided, like they did as each hurricane approached during Isaiah’s 18 years, to flee the city they have always called home.
The decision was the right one as one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes in the country’s history ripped through Jupiter’s hometown of New Orleans the next day, changing his life.
The storm, which formed exactly three years to the day before Jupiter’s first college football game, destroyed his family’s home and their entire neighborhood.
“It was like a ghost town,” Jupiter said. “It was all very hurtful, we didn’t know what to do.”
Luckily they knew what to do prior to the storm, which killed more than 1,000 people.
Katrina brought eight feet of water to Jupiter’s house, completely destroying it. With his house mostly underground, Jupiter knew he wouldn’t have anything to come home to.
“Everything was all messed up,” Jupiter said.
The decision to evacuate almost divided his family, as Jupiter’s oldest brother Jason Walker was set on riding out the storm the night before.
When he awoke in the morning with his family set to leave, Walker had a change of heart which spared him from the destruction.
“He was talking about staying home, but the morning we left, he said, ‘No, I’m going to leave with y’all,’” Jupiter said. “So, if he wouldn’t have left with us, he probably wouldn’t still be around.”
Jupiter fled to his cousin’s house in Lawrencville where they would ride out the storm. However, the destruction of Katrina forced Jupiter to stay in Georgia throughout his high school career, which was spent at Berkmar.
“We had plans to go back, but when it really hit, we stayed,” Jupiter said.
Jupiter remained in Lilburn through his sophomore, junior and senior years of high school, before choosing VSU to attend college. Attracted to the different atmosphere of the area, Jupiter moved to Valdosta.
“When I came for my visit, I liked what I saw,” Jupiter said. “Coming here was a big change for me. It’s a lot different atmosphere.”
Over the summer, as Jupiter prepared to attend college, his parents returned to a familiar atmosphere, after three years of clean-up and waiting for insurance money, they moved back to New Orleans.
“When we came to Georgia, rebuilding was always what we wanted to do.”
New Orleans is dried up now, and as Valdosta dries from a much, much milder storm, Jupiter continues to run routes as a receiver for the Blazers’ working for his next game.
Jupiter and VSU’s next game, Saturday against Newberry, comes as Tropical Storm Gustav churns in the Gulf of Mexico looming over New Orleans.
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