Flipping the switch on Friday Night Lights

Published 2:49 pm Tuesday, August 23, 2022

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STAR CORRESPONDENT
The first week of Friday Night Football is in the books as Unaka, Happy Valley, and Hampton all came out victorious while Elizabethton and Cloudland took it on the chin in Week 1 action.
If someone hasn’t attended the game, they might not understand why everyone gets so excited about a team trying to take the game ball across a thickly painted line laid on each end of a 100-yard field.
Truly, football is not about just the game being played on the field but about the comradery these games create within the communities where high school football is being played.
It gives a time of bonding that makes communities come together outside of the sports realm when someone needs help due to tragedy — whether isolated or wide spread.
Pride is created when teams accomplish the feat of winning district, regional, and state championships that can be celebrated by everyone that hails from the community as well as other surrounding communities.
The game is just not about the game — it’s about the school’s band, the cheerleaders, the kids throwing footballs around the stadium trying to mimic the guys on the field, and the smell of hotdogs, hamburgers, and popcorn waffling through the stadium.
It’s also about the students who come decked out in the theme for the night to cheer on their team.
Yes, football is like a cake recipe where all the ingredients mixed together brings a delightful experience for those who partake in the event. This past Friday night was the first of at least 10 weeks of prep football with more on the horizon for teams who do well over the course of the season.
This week’s games are right around the corner. Why not make plans to gather the family together, go to the game early for a tailgate supper, and then go in and support all these kids who have spent an entire year getting ready for this new season.
Here are a few photos of last week’s Elizabethton – Science Hill contest shared to prove that football is more than just the game.

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