The Foreman High School Gators were determined to win the Class 2A football state championship last Friday.
A 1985 Foreman High School graduate, Kim Russell Kubiak, was determined to watch.
She left her home in Woodstock, Ill., about 10 p.m. and drove all night to meet her family Friday morning in Little Rock.
"I was thrilled to have witnessed Foreman history even if I had to drive 10 hours one way," said Kubiak, who works for America Society of Plastic Surgeons in public relations and marketing.
"I took off from work and didn't want to miss the game."
The Gators won the championship by defeating Mount Ida 24-21 in War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
The family attending the game included her mother, Brenda Bowman of Ashdown, Ark., her sister Robin Daniel, brother-in-law Joe Daniel and nephew Andy Daniel. Her husband is unable to travel, and her two sons stayed at home.
"I've always stayed in touch and followed the activities. I've always thought Foreman was special," Kubiak said. Foreman, Ark., has a population of 1,011 according to the 2010 census.
When Kubiak was a Foreman student, she was a Gator marching band majorette.
"I'm proud of the legacy the team is leaving for the little town, and it shows the great accomplishment. No one will ever be able to take that away. That's impressive."