A few hundred people rallied at Cleveland Public Auditorium Thursday to celebrate Glenville High School's historic Division IV state high school football championship.
The Tarblooders beat the Wyoming High School Cowboys 26-2 on Saturday, becoming the first Cleveland Metropolitan School District football team ever to win a state football championship. The victory capped a perfect 15-0 season for the team.
“A lot of praying, a lot of sacrifice to get here, a lot of things we had to overcome to stay focused and to win 15 games,” said head coach Ted Ginn Sr.
Before the rally, buses and cars lined up in front of the high school on Cleveland's East Side, where families, educators and alumni greeted the team. Passing cars honked, and cheering fans followed the procession of buses to join a rally downtown.
“It brings tears to my eyes,” said Valerie Johnson, a 1968 Glenville High School alumna. “I just get welled up. It’s just exciting. There’s no words to describe the feeling that I have.”
The motorcade traveled from St. Clair Avenue to Lakeside Avenue, where the city honored the team.
“It feels good to accomplish such a great honor, to win state and make the city proud, district proud,” Ginn said.
Ideastream Public Media's Conor Morris contributed to this story.
