CLEVELAND — Praise poured in during a celebration of the Glenville High School football team's Division IV state championship at Cleveland's Public Hall on Thursday morning.
Among those to congratulate the Tarblooders on becoming the first football team from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to win a state championship in the playoff era were members of the Cleveland Browns -- including quarterback Deshaun Watson -- who recorded messages that were played for those in attendance at the rally that followed Thursday morning's parade.
"Congratulations on the state championship, Glenville. Representing the city," said Watson, who received a noticeable ovation from the crowd upon being shown in the video. "The Browns got your support. We've always been rooting for you all year. Big ups to you, your town and your teammates. Keep working hard as a team. Go get another one next year. Congratulations and keep going."
Other Browns players to congratulate the Tarblooders included wide receiver Amari Cooper, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, defensive end Alex Wright, cornerback Denzel Ward and safety John Johnson III. Unsurprisingly, many of the players have preexisting relationships with Glenville head coach Ted Ginn Sr., who has been the Tarblooders head coach since 1997 and has helped develop several college and NFL prospects.
On Saturday, Glenville defeated Wyoming 26-6 in the Division IV state championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. In addition to capturing the Tarblooders' first state championship in program history, the victory capped a perfect 15-0 season for Glenville.