Gaffney High students celebrate their school receiving the Toyota of Greer Spirit Award Wednesday from Fox Carolina television station for best school spirit at a football game. Gaffney High students were rewarded Wednesday for the school spirit they displayed at last week's 38-35 football victory over Greenville.

Fox Carolina television station sports director Dan Bubany presented the Gaffney High Indians with the Toyota of Greer Spirit Award. The award, which includes a cash prize of $500, is given each week to the school with the best signs, spirit and atmosphere at football games featured during the station's "Friday Night Blitz" program.

Gaffney High cheerleaders, students and band members showed off their school spirit at a minipep rally in the commons area. Band members played the school's theme song while cheerleaders danced and students cheered for the benefit of the television cameras.

At the Greenville football game, some Gaffney High students even painted themselves with the Fox Carolina station letters.

"I think this is great recognition for our school. It says a lot about the pride and tradition of Gaffney High School," said Elizabeth Ireton, the school's cheerleading team sponsor. "Everyone worked together. The cheerleaders, the band, fans and students are the reasons our school won the spirit award."

Gaffney High previously won the Fox Spirit Award during its 2003 state championship football season.

After the pep rally, Gaffney High cheerleaders and football players were filmed by Fox Carolina playing a game of checkers for a new segment on this year's Friday Night Blitz sports show.

Fox Carolina is matching the winning school's cheerleaders against the football players each week in checkers. A running tally will be kept by the television station throughout the season to determine which group of students are the best checkers players.

Football players are leading 2-1 after the Gaffney High team's close victory over the cheerleading squad in Wednesday's checkers game.

"It went right down to the end," Bubany said. "It was a real bloodbath on the checkers board."

Schools can win the Toyota of Greer Spirit Award more than once during a year.

When asked what it will take to win another spirit award, Bubany came up with an idea that sounds like a definite challenge for Gaffney High students. "If students were to do a

full-scale diorama at a football game, this would put the school over the top," he said.

"We would have no choice but to award another spirit award to the school."