SPERRY, Okla. -- The Beggs and Sperry high school football teams meet again – this time for the Class 3A state finals.
The battle for the gold ball comes a month after Beggs' star running back, Kayson Toliver and one of his sisters, Kloee, was murdered.
The last time the teams met, it was the day after Toliver was shot and killed in his home, prosecutors say by his own mother.
Since then, Beggs opponents have rallied to show support.
Toliver was one of the key members of the team before the playoffs, and he died only hours before the regular-season finale against Sperry.
In the games since, his team held moments of silence for Toliver and did a ceremonial coin toss on the 27-yard line to represent the jersey number Toliver wore. Sperry’s team raised money and wore stickers with No. 27 on their helmets.
On Thursday night, Sperry is thinking of Toliver’s surviving sister Nickole. A local group has asked fans from both schools to bring Christmas cards to the championship game that will be presented to the teen. There also will be a dropbox in the Sperry visitor section.
The game will get underway at 7 p.m. at Owasso's stadium.
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