Mount Airy High School’s capturing of the 1-A state football championship last Saturday is being hailed as a victory not only for players and coaches but the community, which is celebrating that in multiple ways.
This will include the Bears football team being honored tonight at a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners. City officials are scheduled to present a resolution of recognition for the team’s 20-7 defeat of Tarboro in the 2022 title game, played at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, during the meeting to begin at 6 p.m.
Mount Airy had last won a state football championship in 2008.
Bears players and coaches are invited to tonight’s meeting, which is expected to include fielding appreciative comments from individual council members along with receiving the resolution of recognition. That honor typically is bestowed on local individuals or groups who have distinguished themselves in ways that benefit the city.
“It is my opinion that football brings a community together better than most anything that can happen,” Mayor Jon Cawley said Wednesday in commenting on the impact of last Saturday’s state championship.
Cawley, a former assistant coach for the Granite Bears, said this doesn’t detract from the efforts put forth by other school athletic teams. “Maybe because they play once a week,” he added regarding the football team.
Just as raising a child can require a village, it has been well documented that a successful high school football season often reflects a community effort, including support by parents, boosters, students, fans, teachers, administrators and others.
“Parade of Champions”
In addition to tonight’s recognition by the city council, a parade is scheduled Sunday afternoon that will feature members of both the Bears football team and girls tennis team that won the 1-A state championship in November.
Cawley said the activities today and Sunday represent an effort to recognize both squads with a joint “Parade of Champions”and singularly at meetings of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.
“The tennis team will be honored in January as well,” the mayor said of a similar gesture next month in conjunction with tonight’s recognition of the footballers.
He added that Sunday’s parade will include the Mount Airy High cheerleaders and marching band along with football and tennis team members.
It will be a relatively short procession that is to start from the high school at 3 p.m. and progress to the downtown area, according to the mayor.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com