Friday Night Lights: Are You Ready for Some Football?

A High School without a football team. Seriously? My kids attended such a school. Sure,  waterpolo, soccer, basketball, track and baseball were represented by both boys and girls teams. But the sad reality is nothing says school spirit quite like football. Los Angeles isn't Texas, but the gridiron casts a long shadow. My own high school memories are colored with images of pep rallies, football games and post game celebrations at Shakey's Pizza. My school's stadium was  renamed in honor of our NFL Hall of Fame alumnus John Elway. I performed pom pom routines with the L.A. City Champion Drill Team. And 30 years later my kids' high school experiences were void of the Friday Night Lights ritual. Until now. Even though my own family no longer has kids at the school, as an alumni famliy we were thrilled to attend the first ever football game. Under the lights no less. Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of two moms, and the blessing and support of the adminstration, the school has a newly developed football program.  So on a crisp evening as the days of summer waned, were were excited to sit on the bleachers (another local high school kindly allowed use of their stadium) cheering for the team. The school spirit was contagious. Face paint, team colors, vintage school logos for some of us alumni, music on the loudspeakers, school mascot- all were present. Baseball may be America's Pastime, soccer is a world sport, but football is king.  Let's go Wildcats ! Let's Go!