Friday Night Lights

The Red Zone showing off their signs before the game against Meade County. The theme for the student section was, “College Gameday,” where students made signs and wore their red Charger apparel for the game. “Gameday was one of the best themes so far. The pregame show and seeing everyone’s signs was so cool to see for us,” Bryant said. Under new direction, a bright light shines over the band as they perform at halftime. New seniors stepping up and a different conductor has fueled a lot of success for the band. “We rehearse our music, our marches and always get food before we perform. It gets us ready to perform and is always a great time,” Mitchell said. The cheerleaders encourage the Chargers and get the crowd on their feet before a game. The cheer team has had tons of success over the years and continues to get stronger as time goes on. “It is just natural to us now. It feels so good getting in front of everyone and getting to do what we enjoy,” Haddaway said.

The cheerleaders encourage the Chargers and get the crowd on their feet before a game. The cheer team has had tons of success over the years and continues to get stronger as time goes on. “It is just natural to us now. It feels so good getting in front of everyone and getting to do what we enjoy,” The dance team is performing their halftime routine under the lights. The extensive practices and hard work put in all comes together during their performances to put on an entertaining show for the audience. “We all work hard and put our mind to it and practice a ton. This year is different with me as a captain but we don’t feel that we are at a disadvantage,” Higgins said.

BY KEELIN DAVIS

Coming together under the lights. Friday night football games are one of the highlights of the week in Mount Washington. They bring the community together to celebrate the football team and become one. There are many elements to Friday night football games that come together to make it a memorable night.

The Red Zone Rowdies are the student section that attends most big sporting events. They often follow a theme for each night and fill the air with loud chants and cheers. The Rowdies are led by seniors Carson Bryant, Caydan Snyder, Mia Maguire, Sydney Higdon, Kara Brainer and Karissa Hudson. “It is important that we have people that genuinely care about the school spirit and being able to lead our student section to be the best that they can possibly be,” Bryant said.

The band, led by new hire Jason Novak, provides the soundtrack to the night. The long, intensive summer practices helped form the band into who they are now and they can perform at a high level during the games. They have had a lot of seniors step into leadership roles this year and they have led them to a successful season so far. “It is really thrilling. Having the lights on you with everyone paying attention is so interesting because you can’t get that experience anywhere else,” senior Connor Mitchell said.

The dance team, which is unusually shorthanded this year, is still performing at a high level. This season, there are no seniors currently on the team. Junior Bailee Higgins is one of the dancers who has taken on the leadership role and stepped up so far. “While we are on the sideline, we are all really nervous… when we get out there, we’re fine and we just have fun,” Higgins said.

The football team is having a strong season with a record of 7-1. The team is led by an offensive explosion fueled by the junior class. Quarterback Travis Egan, running back Mason Gauthier and receivers Camron Brogan and Nolan Davenport all have top placings in the state for their productivity this season. “It’s pretty electric being out there under the lights. We’re all just out there having so much fun and it is a feeling you cannot describe,” senior Cole Britt said.

The cheer team yells out their chants and cheers to lead the crowd during the game. The flips, stunts and signs all pull together a cohesive encouraging routine to help lead the crowd. The continued success of the cheer team has created a culture of success around the team. “The feeling of being able to cheer in front of all the students and parents is an exciting experience. It is sometimes hard to see how the games are going and try to cheer but I love the experience,” junior Emily Haddaway said.