From the months of August to November, time is measured in Friday nights. All week, football teams prepare for the stadium lights and screaming fans on Fridays. Every home game, towns like Willis stop for three hours to watch their beloved team give it their all on the field. 

With the first home game Friday, September 6, the week before was filled with anxious preparation for the most important night of the season.

“The first home game always sets the tone for the rest of the season,” senior Kailee Tedder said. “It is the band and colorguard’s job to help pump up the crowd, and so if we do our job right, the season will start on a good note.”

The WHS Pit Kru is the group of dedicated students who can be found hyping up the team from the sidelines.

“We had a meeting right before the game to talk about where to meet and what we needed to do to make sure we can paint up,” senior Cece Barrera said. “We also talked about things to do during the game to make others more excited.”

Friday night home games are a good opportunity for many organizations, like the Sweethearts, to perform in front of their friends and family.

“My favorite thing about our first home game was performing during halftime for the first time as a team on our home field,” senior Alexia Murtagh said. “My other favorite thing was getting a Wildkat win!”

Along with the fun displays of school spirit, the first home game is an opportunity for the football team to show off all of the hard work from the preseason.

“It is a chance to show the school and all of our fans that we are working hard to get wins for them,” senior Juan Lujan said.