FERRIDAY — On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, the town of Ferriday hosted a parade in celebration of Ferriday High School’s LHSAA Class 2A state championship.

The parade began at noon at Ferriday High School passing by a line of fans down EE Wallace Boulevard before turning onto Louisiana Avenue.  At the end of Louisiana Avenue the parade turned on North First Street and stopped at Haney’s Big House Music Hall in Ferriday.

The parade was led by Grand Marshal Ferriday Head Coach Stanley Smith and coach Kenny Kitchen and the state championship trophy. Not far behind was a float filled with the current Trojans’ football players. Others in the parade included trucks with images of players on them, people riding four-wheel all-terrain vehicles and others riding horses.

Roosevelt Davis was one of the football players on the float. Davis said the parade brought a lot of excitement for Ferriday.

“We saw who supported us and having the parade let the town know that we did this for them,” Davis said. “We worked hard to earn the parade. It felt like it was our big gift for Christmas.”

Smith said having the Championship parade was a great deal.

“Having this parade was a dream that came true,” Smith said. “As a little kid, all I wanted to do was win a championship and bring it back home. To finally be able to do it, it still hasn’t really set in. If you look around, then the parade meant a lot to everybody.”

Toyua Watson, who graduated from Ferriday High School in 2003, watched the parade go by on Saturday. Watson works for Concordia Parish School Board as the Secondary Director.

“Oh my goodness, this parade was a chance to help revitalize the community,” Watson said. “We are a football community and we take pride in all of our athletic programs. It’s so nice to see this parade bring all of us together. We have Ferriday, Vidalia, Monterey and everybody within Concordia. We feel like we’re family and I’m loving every moment of it. I feel like it’s the beginning of something great.”

Brennan Smith, a former football player who played for the Trojans from 1999-2003, watched the parade on Saturday as well with a grin on his face. During the 2001 season for the Trojans, Brennan Smith rushed for 2, 201 yards. Brennan Smith said having the parade was long overdue.

“We always deserve a championship in Ferriday and it’s great to have it finally. It was great to see everyone come together and celebrate,” Brennan Smith said. “It felt like I won it. I believed in the Black and Gold and everybody out here believes in them too.”