Deputies Fill Stands for Fallen Comrade's Son

SMYRNA-VININGS, GA -- Dozens of Cobb County sheriff’s deputies packed the stands at a high school basketball game on Saturday to show support to the son of a deputy who passed away last week.

Deputy Raymond E. Morrical passed away Wednesday at the age of 52. When he wasn’t on duty, he could be seen in the stands at East Paulding High School cheering on his son Andrew, who is a junior.

Saturday’s game against Chapel Hill was the first since Morrical passed away, but his fellow deputies made sure Andrew had plenty of supporters in the stands by showing up in uniform to root for East Paulding.

Pictures shared by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution show the bleachers filled with uniformed deputies; one onlooker told reporters she felt like there were ”hundreds” of deputies in the stands cheering on a member of their extended family.

Although East Paulding lost 88-64, Saturday’s game will be a night Andrew Morrical remembers for the rest of his life.

Funeral services for Raymond Morrical will take place at noon on Wednesday inside Macland Baptist Church, according to his obituary. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to East Paulding’s basketball team.