Anderson said he hoped the recognition would give Jacksonville an advantage when it came to hosting a playoff game.
Others came in support of their children who were taking part in the evening’ s events, such as Amber Vasquez.
Her daughter Olivia is a Cherokee Charmer. Both had voted in the poll. The senior Vasquez said she thought it was awesome that the Tomato Bowl was named best high school stadium. The younger Vasquez said it was good to see everyone coming together instead of distancing themselves and she hoped everyone would have fun.
Shunetta Reed and other parent volunteers grilled hamburgers for the cheerleaders. Reed said the food was also given to Charmers and other students. She noted that the Tomato Bowl was a beautiful stadium and hoped the [ football ] team could earn a win.
School board member Dean Dublin said there was a good turnout for the event and said it was a good build up to a new year. He said he hoped to see the kids play hard and looked forward to the program continuing to grow.