Students congratulate the Maroon Tide football team as they toured the Picayune School District’s five elementary schools.

By Alexandra Hedrick

Picayune Item

Coming off their State Championship win, the Picayune High School Maroon Tide football team visited all five elementary schools in the district to shake hands and sign a few autographs.

The football team started out at West Side Elementary school and then traveled to South Side Upper Elementary, South Side Lower Elementary, Nicholson Elementary School and Roseland Park Elementary.

“I think the football players enjoyed it as much as the kids did,” said Pamela Pigott, West Side Elementary principal.

The football team walked through the hallways of the five schools, giving high fives, taking pictures while the students cheered them on.

“The kids cheered but they were so awestruck by the team,” Pigott said.

Some classes at each school created signs congratulating the team or an individual player.

At Nicholson Elementary, signs congratulating Dalton and Devon Hedgepath were popular. The twins’ mother works at the elementary school and showed off her pride with her shirt and her enthusiastic cheering.

“I appreciate the opportunity Mr. (Superintendent Dean) Shaw offered us to participate,” said Debbie Smith, South Side Upper Elementary principal.

The team traveled on school buses to each event. The players took time in between traveling to enjoy the moment.

After they met with the students at Roseland Park Elementary, the team ran out to the playground and played around on the equipment and posed for pictures together.

Smith said it was a “wonderful experience” and it gave the players who used to attend the elementary schools an opportunity to see the support they received from students and facility.  She went on to say it was a moving experience.

While walking through the schools, players hugged their former elementary school teachers and thanked them.

“It really was a good experience for our children and the players because the children really look up to these guys,” Pigott said.

The City of Picayune will host a parade to celebrate the state champions on Thursday at 6 p.m.