Thursday Night Lights

I have worked at Lone Peak High School since it opened in 1997 in one way or another.  The first two years were as a PTSA president or president-elect and after that as a secretary.  Four kids have gone there and graduated.  I never seem to graduate and that's okay with me.  The energy and excitement at a high school has always been one of my favorite things since I went to Leigh High School in the 70's (yes, I'm older than dirt!).

One of the best things has always been watching the sporting events.  This all started when I was a little girl and Dad would bundle Steve and I up in our "car coats", hoods on tightly to the point of choking, and we'd leave the house to mom for the evening.  Our destination would be a local high school.  We'd wait until halftime when they started letting people walk though without paying and head over to the first row of bleachers.  The air would be cool and damp, the grass wet as we walked through it, the marching band would be blaring on the field, cheerleaders jumping around and HUGE players would oftentimes be entering the gates to go back and play at the same time we were going through.  I remember clutching Dad's hand tight and being very intimidated!

I loved those outings.  Later on we watched the beginning days of Monday Night Football as a family.  At a very young age I knew the names of some NFL favorites - Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, Franco Harris, and others.  I had a favorite teams - the 49ers of course, the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers. 

Naturally I continue to watch and enjoy football and never so much as when I have a personal relationship with someone on the team.  For years those favorites included #72 on Lone Peak's team - both my sons wore that number on a junior or high school team for a total of at least 10 years. 

Last night this game was the game of the week on a local TV channel and played on a Thursday instead of Friday.  We watched our Knights beat defending champs, Bingham, who had a 31 game in-state winning streak!  It was really a treat and one of the reasons I have stayed working at the high school long after my kids have left.  Hubby and I rode the wild spirit bus full of excited kids up to the game and back.  The light quickly faded away in the western sky, but we got a nice shot of the team just before the kick-off. . .

. . .very intimidating!

 One of the plays - 3rd down and a few to go.  Their amazing quarterback got over 400 yards last night.

After the final play the crowd stormed the field to celebrate!

 The final score - 45 - 24.  The other team was predicted to win by 9 point but the score looks like an easy victory.  It wasn't.  It was a fight to the finish with our kids playing tough, smart, and athletically for four straight quarters.

We were all so excited!
(Actually,  I wasn't really as crazy as this shot makes me look. I've just discovered that  if I raise my eyes up like this and stretch my face tight you don't see 55 years worth of wrinkles quite so much...)