Thursday night lights add different perspective to traditional football
photo or infographic by Stephanie Keele
PROUD AND PINK. On Pink Out Night in the game against The Woodlands, seniors Xzavier Ross, Tanner Hayes, Jorge Garcia and Trevor Jones run on the field at Woodforest Stadium. The game was held on a Thursday because The Woodlands shares stadiums with College Park, Oak Ridge, Grand Oaks, Conroe and Caney Creek High Schools.
The Sweethearts line up in the victory line as the band warms up for the evening. The trainers set up their equipment and the cheerleaders take selfies before stretching and warming up. The stands of Woodforest stadium begin to fill as the players warm up and prepare for battle.
This is exactly what Friday night lights are all about. The tradition of the community coming together to watch the game as the weekend starts. But when Friday night lights turn into Thursday night lights, a lot of things change for the teams and organizations involved.
Since every football district game is against a Conroe ISD school, and they all share two stadiums, there are several Thursday night games this season. The next Thursday night game is against Grand Oaks High School on Oct. 28.
“Having a game on Thursday is a different feeling than having it on a Friday,” junior Katie Leggett said.
The main problem with games on Thursday nights is the early start time to school the next day.
“Thursday night lights can be fun but also exhausting,” junior Tory Pierce said. “ Having to come back after the game pretty late and have to unload the band trailer and still do homework can be stressful.”
The best part of Friday night lights is staying out late knowing you can catch up on sleep during the weekend.
“Having Friday night games is a lot more relaxing because I know I get to sleep in that night,” junior Chelsie Forester said. “I don’t have to worry about waking up the next morning at 5.”
Friday football has a better ring to it than Thursday football. It is just what the tradition means. Friday nights are for football.
“Friday nights give a more traditional aroma,” senior Jennifer Talley said. “You can smell high school football in the air.”
Some students do not care if it is a Thursday night or Friday night game. They are prepared to show up and give it their all.
“Whether we play on a Thursday or Friday night, it does not matter as long as we are prepared and focused,” senior Aiden Collier.
Friday is the best day of the week because it brings students together out on the football field. Thursday nights are okay, but the traditional Friday games are really what dreams are made of.
“Ever since I started high school football, I have looked forward to Friday night lights,” senior David Soriano said. “Friday night lights are the best feeling. Having a football game on a Friday gives us the weekend to recover and have fun and not have to worry about school the next day.”
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GinElla is a junior on the VOW newspaper staff. When she graduates she wants to go to the University of Houston and study Human Nutrition. You can reach...
Stephanie Keele is a senior and the video editor. She is part of the UIL journalism team. She is a two time cross country regional qualifier. She is a...
