2021-2022 Home Football Game Season Preview
After the student body at the High School unfortunately missed out on an entire football season last year due to COVID-19, students are now prepared and thrilled for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. As of right now, there are minimal specific guidelines regarding COVID-19. There is no limit to the number of fans permitted in the audience, masks are not required, and social distancing is not enforced. While this may change as the season progresses, students are elated with this reality.
The football team will play nine regular season games. The first game was on August 28th against Penns Grove, where they unfortunately came out with a loss. However, their incredible victory against Hillside, a team that has defeated them for the past four years, at Rutgers Stadium on September 5th sent waves of shock and school spirit throughout the entire student body. This win had students hopeful and ecstatic for the rest of the season.
There will be a total of three home games spread throughout the months of September and October. The first home game was this past Friday 9/24 at 7:00pm on Olcott Field. The theme was black out; a popular and common choice chosen every year. The black out was a great way to set the tone for the game, as it is one of the school’s three representative colors. It brought a lot of school spirit and energy into the student section of the bleachers as the student body erupted with cheers and chants throughout the entire duration of the game.
Varsity senior wide receiver Brady Walsh shares that “hearing the student section screaming for us again felt amazing. You just can’t compare that level of energy and support that the team receives from that student section.”
It wasn’t difficult to maintain a loud audience as the football team proved their skill and strength. The football team took home a win that night, leaving with a score of 58-14. Walsh says that “winning the first home game was a great way to start my senior year, especially because of the conditions of last year’s season. It set the tone for the great games to come,” An incredible start to an incredible season.
The student body will get to watch the Football team at their second home game as they take on Voorhees High School on Friday 10/15. The theme for this game will be pink out to spread awareness for breast cancer. Voorhees will be coming to our school with a record of 1-3. Walsh claims that “it should be a really good game. I think we have a very good chance because we have a very hard working group of boys who have proved to do whatever it takes to win this season.”
The team will take on South River High school in their third and final home game of the 2021-2022 season. It will occur the following Friday on 10/22. In honor of our school’s main color, the student section will follow the theme of the red sea. As it is the team’s last game, the student section is planning on going “all out” with their outfits.
Meanwhile, the team is hoping to come out with a win from their last home game; Walsh thinks that they “will have a really good season overall because teams and players before us showed us how to get the job done and win as a team. If we continue to work hard and play hard, we will have the best possible outcome”.
After losing an entire regular season, it is refreshing and reassuring to have Friday Night Lights to look forward to again. Both the football team and their supporters are extremely grateful to this step closer towards normality.