By Gavin Brunamonte,
Staff Writer.
The first Friday Night Lights home game versus Piner on Friday, September 11 was the place to be. The event brought a sense of community and camaraderie that doesn’t just live in the stands, but in the people watching. Building a strong community on the bleachers creates a much livelier and inclusive school atmosphere: bigger fight songs, louder rallies and a united campus. Even though we lost the game, our players put themselves on the field and tried their absolute best – nearly walking away with victory – and their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Despite fighting to the last second, our Santa Rosa Panthers lost the game 20-21. After going down by a touchdown at halftime, they scored two touchdowns to come back and nearly win the game. With the time running out, they scored a touchdown to tie the game, but chose to attempt a two-point conversion to win the game but fell short.
The SRHS football team consists of passionate and talented individuals who try their best on the field regardless of whether we’re winning or losing. Our team holds hope and determination demonstrating their resilience and commitment to the game. No matter what happens, our players will keep practicing and keep putting in their all.
During the tailgate, an event before the varsity game in which spectators could buy food from local food trucks and support clubs trying to fundraise creating an engaging environment. “It’s nice seeing the whole school come together and eat before a game,” said senior Katherine Velasco.
This event plays a vital role in creating community as it brings students and parents from both teams together, illustrating that even though we’re cheering for different teams, all of us are coming together to cheer for our schools and put our spirit out into the community. Events like these are what build connections not only at the game, but also everywhere around the campus.
Overall, school events play an extremely important role in the development of community and togetherness on campus. Without these events, school would just be school – and that’s boring. Events like this give students something to look forward to: something different. If we want to continue building our school spirit, showing up and supporting an event can make all the difference whether it’s a football game, dance or play. No matter who you are, by showing up and participating, you’ll make the event more enjoyable; that’s something everyone should be grateful for.
