Parkway Panthers past and present packed the Bossier City high school’s gym Thursday for a pre-championship pep rally.

“We never thought we’d see this,” said C.B. Burkhardt, a member of the Class of 1995. He and other alums lined the basketball court sidelines, cheering as football players trotted into the gym.

Burkhardt balanced Audrey Garlington on his shoulders. Audrey, a future Panther, is the daughter of Stephen Garlington, another Class of ’95 alum. Garlington said he and Burkhardt played football at Parkway High. Audrey waved a sign declaring, “318 Going to State!”

Football players headed to New Orleans after classes Thursday. They face top-seeded Acadiana for the 5A trophy Saturday night.

As the pep rally wound down, a second line with elaborate umbrellas danced through the crowd. Bookkeeper Kelley Kelly came up with idea after Parkway’s heart-stopping victory over Covington to cement a trip to the Superdome. “I thought, ‘We’re going to the Dome, so we need to do New Orleans Panther style.’ I decided we needed a second line.”

Twitter: @mbrumble