Parade celebrates state champions in Mt. Lebanon
Harry Funk/The Almanac
A fire engine leads the parade along Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon’s Uptown Business District.
Head Coach Bob Palko enjoys the victory parade.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Kelly Brown shows her parade sign.
Mt. Lebanon football player Eli Heidenreich displays the PIAA trophy.
Mt. Lebanon football player Alex Tecza is interviewed for television following the parade.
Among those attending the parade are Melissa Polk, left, and Meghan King Johnson. Emily Polk, Melissa's daughter, is a student trainer for the football team Daniel King, Meghan's nephew, plays for the Blue Devils.
The championship trophy is on parade.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
The Mt. Lebanon High School marching band provides a soundtrack for the parade.
Mt. Lebanon cheerleaders participate in the parade.
Paradegoers chronicle the proceedings on their smartphones.
Mother Nature must like the Blue Devils.
A bright sun and clear blue sky greeted members of the Mt. Lebanon High School varsity football team on its return home from Hershey, where the Blue Devils won their first PIAA championship Dec. 11.
To celebrate, a parade was held the following day in optimal conditions for December along Washington Road in the Uptown Business District, led by a Mt. Lebanon Fire Department truck. The high school marching band and cheerleaders preceded the football players, who garnered fervent applause in recognition of their 35-17 victory over three-time defending champion St. Joseph’s Prep and their 15-0 season overall.
At the conclusion of the parade, Blue Devils senior running back Alex Tecza spoke to the crowd, his voice amplified through the microphone and speaker of a Mt. Lebanon Police Department patrol car.
“Thank you guys for supporting us this whole season,” he said. “I truly want to thank everyone around us, the team, the coaches, the trainers and the community. They really brought it home for us.”