Nov 21, 2024 | By: Lakeland News
Staples-Motley football is heading to the Class AA state football championship against Jackson County Central on Friday. The cities of Staples and Motley are witnessing one of the best seasons put together by their Cardinals in over three decades, and that success has been infectious throughout the community.
“Well, as you can imagine, we’re pretty excited,” said Staples Mayor Ron Murray. “Both communities, Staples and Motley, are pretty excited. I came here in ’93, so we haven’t experienced this since I’ve been here in 31 years.”
“It’s a frenzy that is real, and it starts having an effect and an impact on how a community looks at each other,” said Staples-Motley High School Hall of Fame Director Mike Hajek.
The people of Staples and Motley have rallied around the Cardinals during this great run, an experience that has created a sense of excitement, unity and pride.
“There’s going to be excitement, right? There’s going to be people that are going to come up behind this team and the parents and everything. And I think Staples is no different,” stated Murray. “Any time a community can get excited about something positive, for myself as a mayor, I’m going to jump all over that.”
For a town of only 3,000 people to bear witness to the possibility of a state championship is something that happens rarely. The magnitude of this moment is something the community will hold on to for years to come.
“Everybody is making a memory that will last forever,” said Staples resident Eric Neznik. “And I just, I hope everybody appreciates how important this time is, because moments like this in a small town, they’re wonderful, but they don’t come around every day. So you just got to grab it and and love every minute of it. And I think that’s what people are doing. It’s been fantastic for this town.”
Neznik also had a message for the players. “Gentlemen, good luck. Make the best memories ever. Have the time of your lives, and go Cardinals.”
“This is our time,” added Hajek. “And this is something that the kids will earn. They have earned it to get here. But this is our time.”
Staples-Motley High School will be closed on Friday, with the fan bus leaving at 12:45 from the school. You can see reactions from the team on their upcoming matchup with Jackson County Central and how they’ve made it this far here.
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