As the clock hits zero the purple-clad attendees of the away game erupt into cheers and celebration. Victory.

The Willis Wildkats football team played the A&M Consolidated Tigers last Friday, with the Wildkats taking the win home with a score of 24-17. Last week’s win follows the Wildkats previous victory over Houston Bellaire 50-27.

“I think that this is just the beginning, and the stands were amazing,” sophomore cheerleader Lexi Wachner said. “Everyone would stand and yell ‘Willis, Willis,’ and it was all around one of the best games I’ve been to. It was really nice to see all the players walk off the field knowing that that was a big deal.”

A&M Consolidated entered the game ranked 5th in the state for 5A football, making Willis’ underdog victory all the more sweeter. The game was also scheduled as the Tigers’ homecoming.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, not only to win after being the underdog, but to spoil their homecoming,” junior Ford Ivey said. “It is a great feeling that words can’t describe. You can’t get the smile off of your face after a win like that, and if we can play together like we did against them, this will be a special season.”

The Willis community showed up in force to the away game to support the football team, with the purple and white filled stands full of spirit and intensity.

“No one should ever doubt our Wildkats,” sophomore cheerleader Emily Vaughn said. “They work hard for their wins, and the crowd was wild. Definitely will change everyone’s mind about our football team.”

Even for the people on the sidelines, the win was impressive.

“I cannot explain just how very proud I am for our team, coaches, athletic trainers, and every one who worked so hard to achieve a success like this,” Athletic Trainer Scott McClatchy said. “Congrats to our fans too for getting loud and brining the energy. We loved every bit of that support.”

During the game, both sides fought hard, with the offense putting everything on the line to drive the ball forward and the defense locking down the opposing team.

“I think it was a great game and fight on both sides of the ball,” senior Aiden Collier said. “I believe that our mentality and mindset was completely different from games before and that this game is another building block on the way to success.

This hard-fought victory spells good things for the Willis Wildkats as they forge ahead to their next game and beyond.

“It feels great having everybody come together on the team and in the community,” senior David Soriano said. “It definitely boosts our morale across the school having a big win like that and hopefully having many more to come”