Mar. 9—TUSCOLA — Downtown Design Studio co-owner Kelley Englehardt isn't used to business being so brisk in early March.

Homecoming usually brings in the customers, and gold and black apparel sells well all year.

But after Tuscola's boys' basketball team clinched its first appearance in the IHSA state finals since 1989, shirts and hoodies have been flying off the shelves.

"We've been super, super busy," Englehardt said. "Tuscola knows how to show some support for sure. That's really kind of what led us into doing this business, just to try to give everybody some options to be able to wear different things to show their school spirit.

"With this history-making run that these boys are doing, everybody's been super excited."

Venture around Tuscola — population 4,769 — and you'll find similar stories at every corner.

The school district announced Tuesday that classes won't be in session today. Instead, a community pep rally has been planned for 8:20 a.m. before the Warriors head to Champaign to face Scales Mound at 11:45 a.m.

Downtown Design Studio can print designs in-house while Sav-Mor Pharmacy orders its apparel, which is available in a Warriors-themed section in the back of the store.

The shirt racks looked a bit thinner than usual on Wednesday.

"We've had quite a few people come in for stuff," store manager Heather Madden said. "We've been trying to mark down some stuff so (we) have some of the old stuff getting out so we can get new stuff in. I actually have an order out, and it just hasn't made it (here) yet."

First State Bank — where 17 of its 18 employees attended Tuscola — is offering two messages to Warriors fans on its marquee next door.

One of them advertises its Warriors-themed debit cards while the other wishes the team good luck in its first state title quest in 34 years.

"I was just getting ready to put our flag up," former Tuscola baseball coach and market President Duff Hoel said. "We fly it every Friday in the fall, I fly it on opening day for baseball season and typically forget about it because I'm too busy doing what I do, but we're going to fly it (Wednesday and Thursday) for the basketball team."

The bank can't close outright, but the message is simple for employees who want to watch their alma mater at State Farm Center.

"I've told my staff that anyone who wants to go can go, and we'll figure it out from there," Hoel said. "We may have to lock the front door and let people in one by one, but I don't imagine we'll be very busy tomorrow, either."

Joe's Pizza doesn't have to worry about closing for the games. The downtown eatery doesn't open until 4 p.m., leaving its employees free to support the Warriors in Thursday's semifinal.

And they plan on it.

"I can tell you right now we're making pizzas for them," Tony Vitale said just after the shop opened on Wednesday. "They're coming to pick them up here in about 20 minutes. We love (varsity coach) Justin Bozarth, and we love the Warriors. There's been several of them that come in here and eat, and they're just a good, good group of guys."

Signs of support are easy to find elsewhere across town. Across the street from Joe's, the front window of Flesor's Candy Kitchen is decked out with a Warriors flag and two "Go Warriors" yard signs — one black and one gold.

Andrea Spillman was in the kitchen making chocolates on Wednesday afternoon readying to watch her son, Andrew, suit up for the Warriors in less than 24 hours.

"I think it's a positive vibe for the town," Spillman said. "It gives them something to look forward to ... it's just nice seeing everybody supporting the team."

Across town, a sun-bleached Warriors logo greets visitors to Tuscola Ford on Southline Road. There, too, employees who want to take time off to watch the game are more than welcome to do so.

"They take pride in what this is, and they stand behind the team," manager Jake Oltean said. "We were actually talking the other day, it sounds 'Hoosiers' a little bit. Everybody's got the church bus going, and you've got everybody traveling up there that way."

Expect to see plenty of gold and black along the 28-mile convoy to Champaign.

"You grow up here, and you see these kids grow up," Englehardt said.

"I've got kids in the school district, and so you watch these kids from kindergarten on up. Some of them, they're babysitters or volunteer with the kids, so it's just really fun to see them go out and do something so big like this."