November 22, 2022- St. Teresa High School hosted a pep rally to send the football team off to the 2A state championship game, where the Bulldogs will face off against Downs Tri-Valley.
Undefeated St. Teresa advanced to the championship game with its 39-15 victory over Johnston City, while the Vikings of Downs Tri-Valley (11-2) won their semifinal matchup against Maroa-Forsyth, 36-6.
Ahead of the championship game, the St. Teresa Bulldogs’ varsity football team was honored in front of the St. Teresa student body, parents, and faculty.
Larry Daly, Principal of St. Teresa, kicked the event off with the school’s fight song. Then, the team walked out as the school’s cheerleaders and crowd cheered them on.
Senior captains, Joe Brummer and Matt Brummer, walked out holding a number 52 jersey, in honor of Brody Heinz, their classmate who passed away from cancer before entering his freshman year at St. Teresa.
While the players certainly want to win a state championship for themselves and their community, they perhaps want to win it even more for the one person they wish could be out there on the field with them, Friday afternoon.
“It was our big dream, especially Brody’s to be out here to play for a state championship for St. Teresa,” Joe Brummer and Matt Brummer said. “But now it’s finally coming true. Our friend and teammate, Brody, was a big part of that dream, which is why it has been so important for us to make it this far this senior season. We are one step away from fulfilling that dream and would give anything to have Brody here with us, but we definitely know he is our biggest fan and he has been watching over us these last 13 weeks. So there is only one thing left to do, let’s bring the state championship home for him.”
Head coach Mark Ramsey and his Bulldogs’ team are no stranger to Downs Tri Valley, but he believes that this showdown between the two teams will be unlike any of the previous matchups.
“We are preparing for these guys,” Ramsey said. “Tri-Valley, we have played them a few times in the past. But I will tell you they haven’t been hit like they’re gonna get hit on Friday. I am gonna tell you that right now.”
The Class 2A state final game between the Bulldogs of St. Teresa and the Vikings of Downs Tri-Valley will be played at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Friday, November 25th, at 1:00 p.m.
Tune in to WSOY 1340 AM/103.3 FM, & NowDecatur.com for the live play-by-play coverage of the game.
Below is the photo gallery from the event.
