The packed stands, the cheers from the crowd and the noise of the band: it’s what makes Friday nights so special. Add in the stadium lights shining down, and you have the perfect evening for a football game. But in a year as different as 2020, none of that happened. The stands were vacant, the crowds were non-existent and the band was nowhere to be found. It seemed almost fake and artificial. No pregame tailgates. No homecoming game. It didn’t even feel real. And with a rebuilding team still trying to establish an identity, it seemed as though everything in the world was against them. 

Gray Takacs ‘23 and Drew Griggs ‘23, two of last year’s offensive linemen, were there to experience the highs and lows of the tumultuous season. Early on, they were met with a number of obstacles. For example, Takacs said how, “Some of the biggest challenges we faced were people being sick with COVID and the lack of people we had.” In addition, Griggs said that, “The number of injuries was annoying.” In a season like the one they had, with both of those things challenging them, it would have been easy for them to just throw in the towel and give up. After all, to make matters worse, the rowdy stadium atmosphere that every football player lives for didn’t even exist. Instead, they were left with a desolate field that felt new to everyone on the team. However, they were still able to keep going and fight for each other as a team despite having their backs against the wall. Griggs said, “We were able to continue pushing forward after each game thanks to the team spirit.” That team spirit, throughout the whole season, was what kept the team going night in and night out. Game after game, they continued to fight for one another and not give in to what they faced. And even as the frustration continued to grow and grow, the team was able to find their zone by not worrying about the past or the future. Instead, they focused on the present and tried their best to not get ahead of themselves while focusing on the task at hand. “We learned to take it one game at a time, which helped us keep our focus,” Takacs said. Was all that they faced easy? No. However, in spite of that, the team was able to put their head down and go to work.

But what happened last year is over. It can’t be changed. It was by no means easy, but it’s finally in the past. Last season is gone, and now it’s onto a brand new season. One with fresh new goals. One with completely different expectations. But mostimportantly, one with the long awaited return of normalcy to the Friday night lights. The stands? They’ll be packed once again. The crowds? They’ll be noisy just like they always are. And the band? They’ll be as loud as ever. Once the stadium

 lights come on and the officials sound the whistle, it’s finally that time: game time.