DEMOPOLIS – As the aroma from the players pre-game grilled steak dinner filled the air, WAP students prepared for last night’s football game against the Dixie Academy Rebels with a Friday afternoon pep rally.

As Mike Yelverton and Ronald White grilled a dinner for the team, spectators were entertained by cheers from the varsity, junior varsity, peewee and tiny mite cheerleaders.

Although both Yelverton and White agreed they never received a meal from former coaches, they were willing to prepare such a meal because they “love these boys.”

“They have great spirit,” headmaster Ann Compton said about her students. “We hope this will be a good last home game for our seniors. This pep rally was dedicated to them.”

Compton said she is excited for the last-year students and hopes WAP has created special memories for them.

She is also proud of the tiny mites and peewee football team and cheerleaders.

“One advantage of a school like WAP is the students get together and the tiny mites get a chance to see the seniors who they look up to,” she said. “This togetherness builds team moral and spirit. And it makes the younger ones really feel like a part of the school.”

According to Compton, the cheerleaders are the “heartbeat of the school,” thus she extended a special thanks to them at the end of the pep rally.

“They’ve kept their spirits up and had a theme for us every week,” she said. “The lockers were decorated every week and despite our record, they’ve never lost heart. They have energy and it holds us together.”