WATCH: Dunbar High School football team kneels during national anthem

Dunbar beat Meadowdale 46-0 Friday night at Welcome Stadium, but what happened before the opening kickoff is likely to resonate more.

Several Wolverines took a knee and raised both hands during the national anthem, joining a group of athletes nationwide who have made similar actions this fall.

“While we always want to honor our country, especially the men and women who have served and fought for our freedoms, we must also recognize that part of those freedoms includes the freedom of expression,” Dayton Public Schools Superintendent Rhonda Corr said. “We need to respect the right of individuals to express themselves in a respectful manner and with civility.”

Last week, Dunbar senior receiver Chris Jackson told the Dayton Daily News team captains had discussed what they could do to join the movement.

RELATED: Local high school players join anthem protest

“As long as we get the point across for what we’re trying to represent as players and a team, we want our nation to become better and equal as one society,” Jackson said. “It doesn’t matter who puts their hands up, who gets on a knee or who puts a hand over their heart, as long as we represent what we’re feeling and how we see society.”

In a game vs. Cincinnati Shroder Paideia Academy on Sept. 23, some Dunbar players raised their hands into the air while the anthem played.

The Wolverines play at Cincinnati Western Hills on Friday night.

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