Fliers' football celebration reveals close relationships with community

Steven Allen and Christine Salazar left Clyde's state football celebration early on Wednesday night. Their nine-year-old son was hungry.Clyde senior Chase Berger didn't want their son to miss the meet and greet that took place after the ceremony, though. So when he realized they had left, he messaged them asking them to come back.Allen and Salazar are not from Clyde; they moved to the city about five years ago. They came from Texas, so they knew high school football pretty well. But they had never experienced a run like the one Clyde made this season.Allen and Salazar started going to games because they met Berger while picking up a pizza at Marco's. Their son was excited to meet a football player, and as it turned out, Berger helped coach their son's flag football team, too.So the Allen-Salazar family became Flier fans. And like the rest of the hundreds in attendance at the Clyde High School auditorium Wednesday night, they wanted to watch as the Fliers cemented their state championship run."It's just a really good group of kids for our children to look up to," Salazar said. "For this team to show kids hard work, it's amazing." While Allen and Salazar fed their son, the community watched as the Fliers were honored for their hard work on stage throughout the ceremony. Many government officials congratulated the Fliers on a great run, the Fliers thanked their coaches and families, and they received their state championship medals one by one, greeting one another with handshakes as their names were called.As Clyde Athletic Director Ryan Greenslade closed the ceremony, he revealed two state championship signs — one for the gymnasium, one for the field."The way in which you left your legacy will forever be cemented into Clyde High School's history and talked about for years and years to come," Greensalde told the players.Those conversations will be held by the players who left those legacies as well as the fans that witnessed it. When asked about what he'll take from this exeprience, Clyde quarterback Ryan Lozier's answer was simple: the memories. "This is what we'll talk about at high school reunions," Lozier said. During those future reunions, it might come up that Lozier played through more pain than anyone realized. Lozier's left arm was in a sling throughout the ceremony because of a torn labrum he suffered in Week 10 against Bellevue. "He never told me," Clyde Coach Ryan Carter said. "That's just the kind of kid he is." That's just one example of the resilience the Fliers showed while their community cheered for them. And resilience is just one life lesson the seniors will take with them as they pursue other avenues next fall. Another, according to Clyde defensive end Jack Morrison's father, Nate: togetherness. "They just instilled that mentality of family," Nate said. "It doesn't matter where you come from, you are one."The Clyde fans felt that same kinship watching the Fliers, too. Perhaps no one felt it stronger than Clyde safety Nick Webb's mother, Brenda. Brenda was considered the most passionate fan in the Flier stands. If you were at the game, you could hear her shouts of approval whenever Webb's name was called over the the stadium speakers. As Brenda watched her son and his friends reap the rewards of their hard work on Wednesday, she thought about their futures. Nick is a senior, and she hopes he and his friends apply the lessons they learned playing football to their next phase in life."I'm hoping that they take their athleticism, their character — everything that they've learned through school, through football, through life — and go on and further their education," Brenda said. "Make it a positive note."If you ask Allen and Salazar, the Fliers have already made a positive impact beyond the field. When they returned for the meet and greet after the ceremony, they brought a poster their son had made for the state championship game (they attended every playoff game during Clyde's state run):Tickets:44$Gas: 20$ Snacks: 30$ Being nine and watching your role models go to state: PRICELESS. Allen estimates that most of the Clyde starters autographed the sign, and he knows his son will never forget the chance to meet the state champions.It turns out the Fliers aren't the only people who made unforgettable memories during their playoff run."This is Clyde's future right here," Salazar said, gesturing to her son. "He will definitely be playing football."[gallery]From left, Jack Morrison, Ryan Lozier, Nick Webb and Gunner Golden bite down on their state championship medals during a celebration at Clyde High School's auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.A student carries a banner that will hang in the gym to represent Clyde's state championship in football during a community celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.Community members get on their feet to praise the Clyde Flier football team during a celebration at Clyde High School's auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.Clyde's Derick Coleman shakes hands with his teammates as he walks to receive his state championship medal during a celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2018, at Clyde High School's auditorium.The community fills the auditorium at Clyde High School during a celebration for the football team on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.Steven Allen and Christine Salazar pose with their son after Clyde's championship celebration on Wednesday, December 18.