Canon-McMillan Superintendent Dr. Nick Bayat was so excited that the high school baseball team had won the state Quad A championship June 13 in Altoona that he wanted to do something special to welcome the players home.

So, within minutes after the game ended, he called the police and fire chiefs and hastily arranged a parade through Canonsburg for the champions.

"Fortunately, we have a telephone system that enables us to call the homes of 1,000 students in 10 minutes," he said. Within two hours, several hundred supporters had gathered to welcome the champs as they arrived by school bus shortly before 9 o'clock.

"The fire department let us use their public address system so the coach could introduce every player," Dr. Bayat said. "We greeted them at the McDonalds parking lot."

There was music and cheering for all of the players.

Players then climbed aboard fire trucks and were cheered as the parade, escorted by three police cars, drove through the heart of Canonsburg to the high school.

"I give our community credit for supporting our student activities and for so many fans showing up with very short notice," Dr. Bayat said. "It was wonderful."

The team was to be honored before Thursday night's Wild Things game. It is the first state baseball championship for the school.