State Championship game tickets hot item at Lone Oak this week

Written by Adam Shull
ashull@paducahsun.com

Lone Oak High School is preparing for the weekend no one could have
planned for at the beginning of this football season.

"I didn't even like football before this year," said Allee Blackburn, a
senior at the school traditionally known for football futility.

Now the pep club member is helping prepare the Purple Flash for their
first-ever trip to the 4A state championship game Saturday in
Louisville.

A public pep rally will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday in the school's gym.
Coaches and players will speak, the band and cheerleaders will perform,
and tickets to the final game will be on sale, principal Donna Wear
said.

"We've been selling them all day (Tuesday). We sold the first 1,000 in
about an hour."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the school had about 1,000 tickets left and
had requested an additional 1,000 tickets that may arrive today.

Wear said the football players will leave for Louisville at 7:30 a.m.
Friday from the school's field house.

"I imagine some parents may be there, but we haven't planned anything
for that morning," she said.

As the week flies by and game tickets sell even faster, Wear said the
hype around the game and fan support are overwhelming.

"I feel so blessed," Wear said. "We've had such strong support from the
community for our team."

Blackburn showed her support in the form of about 50 hand-made signs
plastered on school walls.

"I've been making them non-stop since Saturday," Blackburn said.

Blackburn, wearing a school sweatshirt, said Saturday's game will be
bittersweet.

"I'm not ready for (the season) to be over," Blackburn said.

She added that a happy ending to the season might be consolation enough.