The entire student body came out to give the Maplesville football team a proper send-off prior to the team heading down to Auburn University a day before the Class 1A state title game on Thursday.

A pep rally was held in the gymnasium, as students from kindergarten to high school seniors took part in the festivities.

“All of our elementary kids interact and see our high school kids,” Maplesville principal Steven Hunter said. “They pick out kids that they idolize and want to be like. They are very aware of what’s going on.”

Students cheered as members of the coaching staff ran back and forth on the basketball court in a full-size game of tic-tac-toe.

Senior members of the football team shared a few words with the crowd and joined the entire gym in singing the Maplesville Alma mater.

“We remind all of our upperclassmen that they have some very young eyes watching them everyday,” Hunter said. “They are the role models and they [student-athletes] take it very serious.”

Players then made their way through the school as a tunnel of students lined both sides en route to getting on the bus.

Cheerleaders and students then waved farewell to the players as a caravan of trucks and cars followed behind an escort from the Maplesville Police Department.

“This is very important for a lot of reasons,” Hunter said. “It seems to bring the community closer together as a whole because the school is a focal point of the community.”