Hundreds of Vero Beach residents were expected to make their way to Miami on Saturday, Dec. 13, to witness the 7A high school football state championship game between the Fighting Indians and the Lake Mary Rams. The long-awaited matchup will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Pitbull Stadium located at Florida International University.
Fighting Indians fans will gather about noon on Saturday with signs and cheer on the football team as they depart from Vero Beach High School and head to Miami. The caravan of four buses will also transport the marching band and cheerleaders.
The historic game will mark the first time Vero Beach High School competes in the football state championship game in 44 years. Vero high’s football squad last entered the championship in 1981 and earned their only state title.
Vero Beach fans traveling to the game should bring a jacket, hat or umbrella. Isolated to scattered showers were expected in Miami on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
Saturday will have a 40-to-50 percent chance of rain between 7 p.m. and midnight, said George Rizzuto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami. The night will be cloudy with a temperature in the low 70s and easterly winds up to 10 mph.
There will be a 50-to-60 percent chance of rain on Sunday morning.
“There’s a pretty good chance for showers,” Rizzuto said. “(The rain) will be off and on.”
This year’s batch of Vero footballers, who have been practicing all year, ran their last training on the gridiron Friday, Dec. 12, followed by a team prayer dinner, before the big game. On Thursday, Dec. 11, Vero Beach fans crowded into the stadium, met players and witnessed a fireworks showcase. The spray of nighttime fireworks lit up the skies as organizers held a pep rally at the Billy Livings Field at the Citrus Bowl, located across from the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center.
The Vero Beach Fighting Indians remain undefeated with a 14-0 record this season. On Friday, Dec. 5, the Fighting Indians won over the Miami Palmetto Panthers during a double overtime at the state semifinals, securing their seat in the finals.
The Vero players will be transported from Pitbull Stadium back to Vero Beach following the state championship game.
The Pitbull Stadium features a high-tech turf surface, Jumbotron screen, 19 luxury suites, merchandise area and the Athletics Hall of Fame. The stadium offers 20,000 seats total.
There will be no charge for parking onsite. The game will be live-streamed via the National Football High School Network.
Ticket information can be found here.
This story will be updated.
