Hundreds of Bellwood-Antis fans showed their support for the state championship baseball team at Bellwood Memorial Stadium last evening.
The bus and fire trucks escorted the team and coaches through town for about a half an hour before reaching school grounds for a 6 p.m. hometown celebration.
The fire truck whistles were ringing through every block. If the residents of Bellwood weren’t at the high school waiting for the team’s return, they were on the street sidewalks watching the bus and fire trucks make their way through town.
Young and young at heart were on hand at the high school parking lot, adorned in their blue and gold, to show school spirit. Balloons lined the fence of the stadium, and a banner read, “B-A, best in the state.”
The team pulled into the parking lot to a crowd full of cheers and applause, and the fans followed the team and the coaches over to Memorial Stadium for an awards ceremony.
Countless fans filled the stadium bleachers, while the baseball team sat in a row of chairs on the field. Bellwood Mayor James Bonsell handed out certificates of achievement to the baseball players, coaches, score keeper and bat boy.
Many prominent figures of the community were on hand to offer a few words of recognition to the baseball team, including superintendent of schools Rod Kuhns, school board president Ken Loucks, athletic director John Hayes, and baseball coach Steve Conlon.
Senior members of the baseball team, Adam Plummer, Zach Stere and Nate Carlson also said a few words of acknowledgment and thanks to the crowd, coaches and fellow team members.
After the ceremony at Memorial Stadium, the baseball team was treated to a pizza party at OIP.
It was truly a night for all to remember and will go down in history as the first-ever state team championship for Bellwood High School.
