Whether entering the stadium for the first time as a freshman or attending the “last first” football game of the season as a senior, the overwhelmingly noisy Emory Sewell Stadium instantly brings joy to the faces of any attendee. The exciting scrambles of the neon-theme-out student section, the chatter of the supporting families, the practicing of stand tunes from the marching band and the nervous movements of the football team create the enjoyable bustle of the game.
Friday, August 9, the NC Warriors football team went head-to-head with the Collins Hill High School Eagles to kick off the season with a scrimmage. Prior to the games starting at 7:30 p.m., a tailgate was placed in the bus parking lot. Involved senior students, including the senior class president Isabella Alves and vice president Kayden Williams rallied with the paint squad — now allowing female students to participate — before they joined the decked-out student section for the remainder of the night. The tailgate attendance increased as the night went on, while students painted letters on chests and blasted music to sing along with. Neon, the theme for the scrimmage, covered the Warrior side of the stadium and glowed even as the sun began to set.
“My favorite part of tonight was definitely the tailgate with all my friends on the paint squad. We just listened to music, took a bunch of pictures, played games, and painted each other. It was really great and I’m glad to be able to experience these amazing high school memories with some of my favorite people. I love the tailgates so much. I love spending quality time with people who are important to me and I feel like the tailgate allows me to do that by either helping the boys get painted, painting dots on my girls’ faces, taking pictures, dancing and singing. I just love the experience and the vibes that everyone has at the tailgate,” Alves said.
A first chance for the freshman class to see the Friday Night Lights (FNL), exhilarated faces consumed the stands. Looking towards the field, Warrior students and families watched the Eagles score three points in the first quarter with a field goal. With a bit of an edge, the Eagles played the waiting game and the Warriors scored two touchdowns within the second quarter. From there, confidence radiated off the Warriors as they stayed in the lead until the end of the game. Bringing home a win 20-3 with three touchdowns, the achievement allowed football players to practice before the season began and also granted the team a chance to showcase all the hard work they put in during summer training.
“We have spent our entire offseason working to be the team we are right now. I’m super proud of the hard work our guys have put in to get to this point. Collins Hill is a great team, but we came more prepared. We were very hyped about the win because we felt our work paid off and that’s a great feeling,” senior inside linebacker Cooper Negron (54) said.
Not only does FNL represent the intense training of the football team as the season begins, but it also highlights the importance of student participation. The NC spirit club, Tribal Connections, strives to let any student in on the fun of school spirit with the help of the senior class. With a promising start to the 2024 NC football season, friends and family alike simply cannot wait for the next game.
“I make sure that everyone is involved and excited by really promoting the event and making sure it is known that it is for everyone, not just a certain class. For this game, I announced it multiple times on the announcements, posted it on The Tribe [instagram account] and even reminded the juniors when I spoke to them about it at their class meeting. I know that these memories will last a lifetime and I just want to make sure that everyone has a great time. I feel like the first game is really important for school spirit because it’s good to start off strong and see what we can add or do to have more people involved from there,” Alves said
