DALLAS, Pa. — The auditorium of Dallas High School was buzzing with excitement. It's all for the Mountaineer football team as it gears up for the state PIAA 4A championship game.
"Everyone runs around school so excited, like you can really feel the pride that everyone has," said Dallas junior Lindsay Matinas.
"I'm looking forward to all of the fans in the student section. We are going to be really hyped. It's going to be really exciting," said Dallas junior Paige Slavinski. "It's nerve-wracking but fun at the same time."
The week-16 matchup is a game of two undefeated teams. The Mountaineers will face Aliquippa from Beaver County.
Head coach Rich Mannello says his squad has a lot of Dallas blue pride.
"They are a resilient bunch, and we are fortunate that our junior and senior class have come together as one, and that doesn't happen too often in high school football. So it's catching lightning in a bottle, and we told them let's put a lid on that and hold on to it as long as we can," said Coach Rich Mannello.
The Dallas Mountaineers haven't won a state championship title since 1993, so the team is ready to leave it all on the field.
"The neat thing is it is two public schools, and that it should be, and they play with kids they grew up with in their community, and we are doing the same, so it is a great honor," said Coach Mannello.
The pep rally continued outside the school as the team packed up and got on the bus. Parents and students gathered with signs wishing the team the best of luck in the hopes they bring back a state title.
"The boys have so much heart, and when you are in that stadium, you feel the heart, and you feel the love they have for the game," said parent Teresa Worth.
"We trust our team so much; everyone has been doing so good. We've had so much faith in the football team and ourselves, so watching them get so far has been great, and it is fun to come along for the ride with them, too," said Matinas.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.