BELLEVUE, Ky. — The Bellevue High School football team didn't think they'd get another chance to play under the Friday night lights. But for one last time this season, they did.
Nothing brings a community together quite like high school football. That’s why the Tigers were devastated when the rest of their regular season was canceled because injuries limited the number of players they had available.
"The coach just came into the locker room, we were all still wearing our equipment and he said our season's over," said Ethan Noonchester, a senior on the football team.
Other seniors shared similar accounts of how their coach broke the news and said there was no warning.
"I felt upset at first," said team captain James Long. "But I then understood why, for the safety reasons, for the low numbers and everything. It was a good idea for them to do it."
Another senior, Aaron Vogt, said he was heartbroken by the news.
"It was probably one of the most heartbreaking things that I've experienced because it's a game that you've put so much time into and to just have that all ripped away from you," Vogt said.
The community felt for them, and Bellevue Police Chief Jon McClain decided to do something about it.
"I thought there had to be some way, something we could do to you know, give them a proper send-off," McClain said.
Leading up to the game, Bellevue Mayor Charlie Kleves said he heard a lot about how excited people were.
"I haven't gone anywhere that someone hasn't said something to me about it," he said.
Friday, the Tigers took the field one last time as a team for a community flag football game against Bellevue first responders and other members of the community.
But what originally started as a game of flag football turned into something much more.
It wasn't just the football team that played their hearts out. The cheerleaders and the band all made sure it was one to remember, even keeping a Friday night lights tradition. A tradition to teepee the homes of Bellevue players before a game turned into teepeeing the city building.
"It was so fun to teepee for the last time, especially the city building," said Greer Hayes, a senior on the cheer team at Bellevue.
“It's just snowballed,” said athletic director Jim Hicks. "The past week, you know people reaching out from all over, willing to do anything that's needed … make donations, volunteer. It's been really impressive to see."
McClain said it shows just how tight-knit the Bellevue community is.
Vogt is hoping this community enthusiasm will continue next season.
"I want to make sure that this energy and everyone who helped out in this community can keep helping out," he said.
Admission and food were free to the community, though donations were accepted.
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