File Photo. Gunner Stockton, seen here as a Rabun County High School senior, now is the starting quarterback for the University of Georgia. During his prep career at RCHS, Stockton set multiple state passing records and total touchdown marks. On Friday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. before the Wildcats’ Homecoming game against Banks County, Stockton’s No. 14 jersey will be retired.
The No. 14 has been worn by generations of football players at Rabun County High School. It means more than just a number to the program, it is a standard of excellence and it’s a legacy.
That legacy, which includes names like Lee Shaw, Rob Stockton, current RCHS athletic director Jonathan Welch and many more, will be eternalized on Friday, Sept. 19, before Rabun County takes on Banks County, the school announced on Tuesday.
The final member of the illustrious club to wear No. 14, and the player to have the number retired under their name, is none other Gunner Stockton, as his No. 14 will be retired Friday at Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium.
The retirement ceremony for Stockton’s number will be at 7 p.m. at the stadium on the Rabun County High School campus in Tiger.
After the ceremony, the Wildcats will face the Leopards from Banks County in a region matchup at 7:30 p.m. at RCHS’s Homecoming. The 2025 Homecoming queen will be crowned at halftime.
Stockton, who is the current starting quarterback at the University of Georgia, added to the legendary institution of Wildcat players to wear 14 during his career at Rabun County from 2018-2022. He posted a career record in high school of 46-7, almost as impressive as his 65-0 record during his recreation league years.
Stockton led Rabun County on several deep playoff runs, posting astounding numbers while doing so.
En route to being named an All-State player four times and taking home Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, Stockton set state records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total touchdowns and all-purpose yards. Today, he still ranks No. 1 all-time in Georgia for passing touchdowns (177) and No. 3 for passing yards (13,652) in a career.
“He’s one of the most decorated high school quarterbacks in the history of Georgia high school football,” said Rabun County head football coach Rance Gillespie. “He totally deserves for his number to be retired and to be recognized for all the accomplishments that he had at Rabun County, and that he continues to have.”
While he might not admit it due to his humble and quiet personality, Stockton had an everlasting impact on Rabun County. That being the impact he had on the football program and in the community.
Since his final season in 2022 when the Wildcats went 11-2 and advanced to the state quarterfinal, nobody at Rabun County has worn No. 14. Further exemplifying the legacy Stockton left behind.
“We kind of tucked it (the jersey) away, knowing that at some point we would retire it,” Rabun County High School principal Justin Spillers told The Clayton Tribune. “We wanted to give some other people an opportunity to ‘Hey, go out there and use your number to try to meet that standard that was set.’”
The standard was set not only on the field for Rabun County, but also in the hallways and classrooms of the school and the community. What draws people to Stockton along with his abilities as a football player, is the way he carries himself and represents his hometown.
“What he continues to do at the University of Georgia, there’s a lot of pride in our community,” Gillespie said. “Seeing him take the field every Saturday and then when he goes out and does the things like he did this Saturday (versus Tennessee) it’s a rallying point for our community.
“The guy is so easy to cheer for, he really is. He’s a great human being that you just want to see do well,” Gillespie added.