Hall County's biggest high school football rivalry brought out the heavyweights Friday night, not all of them on the field.

Gov. Nathan Deal, a longtime Hall County resident, was on hand for the Gainesville-North Hall showdown at City Park Stadium.

Deal visited with fans before the game and flipped the coin before kickoff.

The governor, who represented the county in the state legislature and in Congress for decades, decided to wear black, neutral colors in the sea of Red Elephant red and Trojan green. And he made sure to sit with fans from both schools.

"We owe so much to the great people of Gainesville and Hall County for all of the support that they've given us," Deal said. "It's great to come out here and see all of our friends on both sides of the field."

But even Deal's presence didn't steal the show from Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson, who scored eight touchdowns (five by pass, three by run) to lead Gainesville to a 55-15 victory.