GRAND LEDGE -- The Jackson High School football team held true to its plan to take a knee as a team before the national anthem Friday night at Grand Ledge.

The entire team took a knee just minutes before the national anthem was played. Moments before the anthem started, the Vikings stood and faced the flag as a team.

On Thursday, the team held a meeting in which coach Scott Farley stated that nobody had to kneel if they didn't feel comfortable and that his main goal was that everybody expressed themselves peacefully in a way that represented the program with class.

The game on Friday is the last time that Jackson (1-4, 1-2 Capital Area Activities Conference Blue Division) will play Grand Ledge (4-1, 2-1) as conference foes with Jackson moving to the SEC White in 2018.