POWELL, Tenn. — The Powell High School football team celebrated its first state championship with a small parade on Thursday afternoon.
With students and teachers lining the parking lot, the marching band repeatedly played "Rocky Top" while leading the team around the school.
The parade route led to the football field where principal Chadwick Smith and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs congratulated the Panthers on a successful state championship run.
Powell won the championship on Dec. 3, defeating Page High School, 42-34, in the 5A BlueCross Bowl.
"This trophy belongs to this entire community—not only to the football team, of course—but to all of you who supported them," Mayor Jacobs said.
Panthers head coach Matt Lowe ended the celebration with a thankful speech towards every Powell fan and the players.
"From all of us that are fans [and] from all of us that are supporters of this program, you guys...are the ones that allow us this opportunity to celebrate. For that, we get to tell the stories for the next 30 years," he said.
Powell starts its road to repeating as state champions when the 2022 season starts in August.