Wayne State University Sends 'Cinderella' Football Team to Nationals

Two former Plymouth-Canton Educational Park football players, Will Khoury and Ethan Walsh, are on Wayne State University's team, now headed to a national championship game.

The Warriors' first bid for a national pigskin crown, a game set for next weekend against Pittsburg State, has attracted the attention of everyone from students and alumni to sportswriters at The New York Times. The newspaper is calling the Warriors (12-3 overall) a "Cinderella" team.

The Division II championship game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in Florence, AL, to be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Khoury, a senior majoring in criminal justice, started 24 games in the last three seasons and blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher all three seasons (Joique Bell in 2008 and 2009, and Josh Renel in 2010), according to Wayne State stats. This year, he was named to the All-GLIAC First Team as well as GLIAC's All-Academic Team.

Walsh, a freshman tight end, graduated from Salem High this year, after earned three varsity letters while playing for the Rocks. He also played on Salem's varsity basketball team. In playing for Wayne State, he follows his uncle, John Walsh, who lettered for the team during his 1982-83 term.

Freshman tight end Ethan Walsh, who graduated from Salem High this year, earned three varsity letters while playing for the Rocks. In playing for Wayne State, he follows his uncle, John Walsh, who lettered for the team during his 1982-83 term.

Tickets for Saturday's game are being sold by North Alabama ticket office, according to Wayne State's athletics website, and can be ordered online. All seats are reserved and cost $20.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the state in which Saturday's game will be played. At Patch, editors strive for 100 percent accuracy. When that doesn't happen, stories are corrected and annotated as swiftly as possible.