Fans give SM East football team a big sendoff as players head to championship game in Emporia

  Dan Blom  - Football
Fans were ready with their signs to greet the SM East football team this morning at Village Shops.
Fans were ready with their signs to greet the SM East football team this morning at Village Shops.

The pep rallies are over, the buses are rolling towards Emporia this morning and all that’s left is to bring back a state championship.

Students, parents and fans lined the drive through the Village Shops at 7:30 a.m. this morning to give the SM East football team a grand sendoff to their state championship game at Emporia State, which gets under way at 1 p.m. As the police escort and the team buses made their way down the street, cheerleaders and fans waved signs and school flags and cheered the team down the road.

Friday night, hundreds of fans gathered in the U.S. Bank parking lot in the Village for a pep rally to set the mood for today’s game, which should be played in a perfect setting. The forecast calls for sunny skies and 59 degrees at kickoff in Emporia.

If you can’t make it out to Emporia, you can catch the SM East vs. Hutchinson game on a live video webcast from 810Varsity.com here.  A live audio broadcast of the Bishop Miege vs. Hayden game will be available here.

And you can watch for our live updates on shawneemissionpost.com all through the game.

The buses rolled through to a cheering crowd.
The buses rolled through to a cheering crowd.
Mary Sinclair held her son Sam Huffman's jersey number high as the team went past.
Mary Sinclair held her son Sam Huffman’s jersey number high as the team went past.
You've got to believe.
You’ve got to believe.
Coach Dustin Delaney spoke to the crowd at the Friday pep rally.
Coach Dustin Delaney spoke to the crowd at the Friday pep rally.
Hundreds of fans watched the inspirational team videos on the big screen Friday night.
Hundreds of fans watched the inspirational team videos on the big screen Friday night.