Times have changed. The Internet has altered the landscape of professional sports, bridging the gap between team and fan, making everything from stats to purchasing tickets readily accessible. As a result, high school athletics have become less attractive, even in markets where a professional team may not be prominent.

When the 1956 state championship runner-up Pam Pack returned home from Canton on that frigid December day so long ago, hundreds, maybe even thousands of local residents lined Main Street to welcome home the best team in school history, one that finished 11-1-1.

They had lost, but the community wanted to make sure their efforts did not go unrecognized. Each player was rewarded with a silver football and head coach Choppy Wagner was even honored with a new car.

On top of the warm welcome, hundreds of fans made the six-hour drive across the state to the Pisgah Mountains to root on the Pam Pack. It was, arguably, the most memorable sports moment in the history of Washington.

On Saturday, that will change. The 2014 version of Washington, now sporting flat gray uniforms instead of the traditional blue and white, will look to finish what the 1956 team started. Washington, the team with the longest state championship drought among those remaining, will attempt to provide the 28 players from the runner-up squad still living with a bit of closure.

That being said, even if you know absolutely nothing about football, dust off that blue shirt you haven’t worn in years on Saturday to honor a team full of great athletes and, more importantly, great kids.

And if you have some time, why not make the 3.5-hour drive to Winston-Salem on Saturday to support Washington? The players would certainly appreciate it and you might even witness a bit of history.