OAKLAND, Ore. (KMTR) -- The small town of
Oakland Oregon has seen quite a bit of excitement over the past week. For both good and not-so-good reasons.
On Wednesday last week, the district shut down all three schools because 100 of their 500 students got sick with a stomach virus. That happened just days before the Oakland High School football team was set to compete in the OSAA 2A State Finals. The Oakers walked away with the victory Saturday, beating Portland Christian 50 to 27.
Monday, students were healthy and back to school as usual, but the excitement persisted. The day started with an assembly, recognizing the players who are very happy to have finally clinched the title.
"It was a very fun experience," says Logan O'Hara, a senior on the team. "Just to finally get to the State Championship with the team. All of the seniors, we just had a great season this year. [We] finally made it to the big dance and we competed . . . and we just won," O'Hara added.
David Henry is another senior on the team. He was relieved that his third run at the State Championship was a success, saying, "When I was a sophomore, we lost in the quarter-finals and then last year in the semi's. It just felt really good to get the title."
Both players said last week's illness worried them at first, but that their team hardly let it phase them. The team's victory confirms that they stayed focused.
This is just the second time that Oakland's football team has been named state champs. They got their first victory in 1964 and now the 2012 team has proudly joined those victors, making school history.
