The Cities of Highland and University Park celebrated the victorious Tennis and Football teams Saturday January 13 in a parade that stretched from the High School to Goar Park. A few hundred students took part, including the band, belles, cheerleaders, and obviously the teams.

“The whole community came, it was very fun,” Nicolas Nguyen said.

Nguyen is one of the many students who came to the parade. Additionally, elementary school aged children lined the streets and supportive parents cheered to the waving players on floats who were also throwing miniature footballs into the crowd. Despite the frigid temperatures, people still found a way to enjoy themselves. After the parade, there were speeches by players, coaches, and a congressman. Then the players got to sign autographs for kids and take pictures with fans.

“It was just like a cherry on top,” Shawver said.

The sundae of course would be the thrilling title game game win Shawver was apart of as a member of the football team. The Scots rallied with little time left in the fourth quarter to steal the victory away from the Manvel Mavericks. The game came down to the last play, where Safety James Herring made a game-saving tackle at the one yard line as time expired. The Division 1- 5A State Title Game is being called one of the greatest games in high school football history due to the offensive fireworks, brilliant comeback, and masterful Quarterback play by John Stephen Jones. The game even made Sportscenter and NFL Sunday Countdown. No one played a bigger part in the comeback than Kicker Matteo Cordray however, who made a perfect onside kick to give the Scots the ball back after their first of two touchdowns in the final two minutes.

“It went by a lot quicker, it was much smoother [than last year]; the process and how everything worked. I liked the autographing at the end that was really fun to see a bunch of parents and kids come up to me and talk to me,” Cordray said.

Although he said the football team ran out of miniature footballs too early in the parade, it didn’t stop this high school hero from having fun. Cordray has elected to play football next year Army West Point where he will handle kicking duties for the Black Knights. Overall, Cordray and others thought the parade was a success.

“I thought it was very nice to see people, the whole community, get together,” Nguyen said.