The first home football game of the season is always a big event in our small town. I picked up my youngest student at school that afternoon. He had a friend tagging along wanting to come hang out at our house to go to the game together that night. There is always room at our house for extra kids so I told him to hop in and call his parents to let them know their plans.
As we were driving up our long driveway to head into town that night, the sky was covered in a cloud of black gnats. I do not know if I have ever seen such a swarm of insects, but I likened it to something described in Biblical times. As we drove into town the fog of bugs did not appear to be thinning out.
When I finally arrived at the game, spectators were swatting at bugs and spritzing bug spray to fend them off. I was afraid to open my mouth to cheer because it was highly likely one of these critters would fly in. As the night wore on, the annoying gnats slowly stopped bothering all of us.
Earlier in the day, the high school cheer team hosted a pep rally to draw out school-wide spirit for the football team. The pep rally consisted of music, games and lots of cheering to get students fired up for football season.
Our first game was against a non-conference team from Miami, Okla. The game started out slowly but soon our team was full of energy and the score grew. The hometown team walked away winners that evening.
As I drove home after the game I contemplated the packed stands, spirited cheerleaders and the raucous student section. In a small town, football is more than just a game. It is a community gathering every Friday night to reconnect with one another and support our local high school team. The thing that has always impressed me with our local high school football team is our coaching staff. Our daughter has cheered for this team, and our sons have had the opportunity to play for this team. The commitment and focus of the coaches is an impressive sight to witness. It is more than just football – it’s a brotherhood where coaches emphasize the importance of academics and good citizenship.
Before every game, a group of parents work together to provide a team meal to make sure every player eats dinner and has time to focus with their teammates before the game. It has always impressed me that whether our team is playing at home or on the road, the stands are always full of fans who have boundless hometown pride.
As the leaves begin to change and fall, I am looking forward to cool nights and rowdy autumn football games in town, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
