All through the week leading up to Friday nights, the school’s spirit encourages the team to continue working together and play their hardest. Without the students cheering the team on, the games wouldn’t be the same and the players wouldn’t play the same.
“In any sport you’re in, enthusiasm and motivation gets your adrenaline pumping,” athletic director Mike Meador said. “It allows you to play a little better.”
Football season means bright lights at the stadium and the cheering of students for the team to persevere and win the game. The team is grateful for all of the students whose chants push them to the end of the game.
“Our players want to know that the students are behind them and backing them no matter what,” Meador said. “All the time they are there through thick and thin.”
Throughout spirit week, students dress in costume to show support for their school and get the football players ready for the approaching game. The themes this year were pajama, superhero, Disney, 50’s and blue out.
“[Spirit week] is a reminder throughout the week that this is homecoming week,” wide receiver Colton Brown said. “Everybody is expecting us to do our best out there and play with everything we’ve got.”
Pep rallies play an important role in boosting school spirit and getting everyone excited for the upcoming game. It gets both the players and the crowd involved in dances, cheers, and songs that let the team know how much these games mean to the school and the town.
“Pep rallies show that football is supposed to be exciting and helps me get ready for the game,” Brown said. “We only get one opportunity at this and the whole school is expecting us to do our best out there.”
Even though it isn’t required of them, students take time to go to the games and get pumped up for the people on the field. While most students are sitting in the designated student section of the stands, the cheerleaders help them get on their feet and get excited.
“We usually do a lot of crowd involvement cheers where we say something and they say it back to us,” cheerleader Crista Hudspeth said. “It helps the football players get motivated and it helps us get more positive, too.”
School spirit not only prepares the team for the game but it also creates a different atmosphere in the school. This new atmosphere is a feeling of appreciation and encouragement that comes with supporting your school and peers.
“I think the most important thing about school spirit is the fact that it brings so much positivity to the school,” Hudspeth said. “We get a lot of recognition for how much spirit we have and it makes the whole school experience a lot better.”
