Hundreds of Emery football fans took their minds temporarily off the mine Friday by watching the Spartans take on the Canyon View Falcons.

Much like the melding of community boundaries, the mine tragedy has turned high school rivals into friends. Before Friday's gridiron battle, the Falcons donated $1,000 to the Spartans to give to the families of the killed and trapped miners.

The Canyon View tennis team chipped in another $1,400 that the players raised at a bake sale. And last week, the Duchesne Eagles donated $1,000 to the cause.

Emery High School's principal, Gwen Callahan, said she has been "overwhelmed" by the support of rival high schools.

"It's crazy. They give and give and give and are still giving," said Callahan, who leads the 480-student school, where many of the children of Crandall Canyon miners attend. "(The tragedy) has been the very worst in what can happen to people, to seeing the very best in people. It's a lot for a community to cope with."

It wasn't a surprise to very many that so much support was being shown, as the tight-knit community "has always been this way," said Jill Hanna, the first and only female ever to work at the Crandall Canyon Mine.

"These were good guys, and I'm sure going to miss them. It's great to know that no matter what, the families of those miners will be taken care of."

Contributing: Leigh Dethman

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Contributing: Leigh Dethman

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com