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ASHLAND − Southern Boone will play for more than just a win against Eldon Friday night. 

The Eagles celebrate homecoming this week, and three football players were on the court. The three players raised just under $7,000 for their classmate Brooklyn Smith who is battling Lymphoma, which is when there are too many white blood cells in her body to fight illness. 

"It means a lot, as it just shows how much the community has come together to support me, and it means a lot to me," Brooklyn said.

The Southern Boone homecoming king and queen court paired up in groups of two to create four Go Fund Me pages in an effort to raise money for the Smith family. The 2022 court members are Emily DeHaas, Mason Ahern, Kyra Massie, Owen Fulk, Tessa Roney, Ben Taylor, Ashlyne Ussery and Carter Salter. Photo courtesy of Melissa Duckett ▲

As a tradition, the homecoming court king and queen candidates team up in pairs of two to raise money for a cause close to them. This year, the court decided to set up four GoFundMe pages to collectively raise money for the Smith family.

The Southern Boone homecoming court came together to raise funds for Brooklyn Smith. The crew has raised just under $7,000 Photo courtesy of Melissa Duckett ▲

One of the players on homecoming court is Ben Taylor, who helped raised over $1,000. Taylor said the friendly competition is a collective effort of the members of the court. 

"Everyone has high hopes for Brooklyn, and we're all here for her," Taylor said. "We always stay on her side with her and her fight."

Wide receiver Chase Morris and quarterback Austin Evans echoed Taylor in uniting the team to support the Smith Family.

"We'll do the best for Brooklyn and best for your daughter," Morris said. "The story is so inspirational and I love hearing everything about it."

"It's sad what happened, but Brooklyn is doing a great job," Evans said. "Everyone in the community [is] here to support her, and her fight is just inspirational."

The Eagles put the decals on their helmets in support of their classmate Brooklyn Smith who is battling Lymphoma. The helmet decals made a debut against Versailles in Week 5 of Friday Night Fever.   Veronica Townsend, KOMU 8 Reporter ▲

To show their support, the Eagles put green ribbon decals on their helmets. The players debuted the new decal during their game against Versailles. This idea came from Southern Boone football coach Mark Ross, who said the team wanted to support Brooklyn.

"For, the helmets, we felt it serves as a reminder that there are things in life more important than football like our family and friends," Ross said. "We talk constantly about servant leadership and the importance of lifting up and supporting those around you."

The money raised during homecoming will go toward helping the Smith family pay medical bills. Brooklyn Smith is 15 years old and plays catcher on the Eagles softball team. She was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.  Veronica Townsend, KOMU 8 Reporter ▲

All the support will help make Brooklyn's days easier. This past Wednesday, Brooklyn had to be at the hospital at about 6 a.m. Brooklyn said she laid flat on a hospital bed for two hours to get chemo treatment. 

Brooklyn's mom, Lauren Smith, said she is thankful for all who have come together to support her daughter. Lauren Smith said money raised will go into an account to pay Brooklyn's medical bills, and the family will pay for the remaining balance. 

"This is an expensive journey," Lauren Smith said. "We're keeping a positive mindset. I think it's helping us get through it. I mean, we don't really have another option. So positive is the only way to go."

Brooklyn said she looks forward to returning to softball and is thankful for the help of the homecoming court and football team in supporting her to achieve her goals and make it through this tough time. 

Friday's kickoff against Eldon is scheduled for 7 p.m. Click here to learn more about the homecoming efforts to raise money for the Smith Family. 

View on KOMU.com

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