There’s nothing quite like a Friday night in the fall. For Collierville, Fridays represent a remarkable show that touches most everyone in the community. The town rallies behind the event so much so that it has become seamlessly embedded in our culture. Preparation for the show begins months in advance and it takes a harmony of hard work and raw talent to pull it off. While we tend to associate this show with football, and it is certainly a centerpiece, the reality is that this show is cast by several integral parts all working together in the events leading up to the Friday night production kick-off.

Whether you attended high school fifty years ago or are in high school now, went to a public or private school, were involved in athletics or showed support from the stands, we all share a common bond when it comes to partaking in this Friday night ritual we call football.

Setting the Stage

Early Friday morning an elderly gentleman takes it upon himself to mow the field, while older alumni converse nearby, volunteering to touch up yard lines and hold the chains tonight at the game.

A contagious energy fills the school as high-fives and ‘good luck tonight’s’ resonate through the hallways between peers and Varsity players proudly wearing their letterman jackets. Cheerleaders encourage their classmates to decorate signs and buy their ‘beat the rival’ t-shirt to support the school. Members of the administration wear the chosen school color shirt for that week and sign themselves up in the break room for working the concessions.

The PA system crackles loudly overhead as the Principal announces “It’s a Great Day to be a Rydell High Ranger” and reminds everyone that school will let out early for the pep rally in the gym. Band members prepare their instruments to proudly play the fight song as the color guard twirls their batons over an old wooden floor. Students pack the bleachers like sardines in a can while overhearing the “Two bits, Four bits…” chant from the cheerleaders down below. The head coach steps up to the mic and says, “No one, and I mean no one, comes into Our House and pushes us around!” A large roar fills the gymnasium.

Parents fumble through old drawers for their ‘parent of #38’ pin and law enforcement officers make preparations in the event rival fans decide to do some tackling of their own, later that night. Local newspapers include write-ups on how well the schools prepared during summer camps, and early predictions are made in passing down grocery store aisles between neighbors on who will make it to the championship game this year.

A previous instructor rips your ticket stub and hands you your change as you walk into the stadium with a flutter of emotions. The smell of the charcoal grill heating up your soon-to-be devoured hamburger or hot dog fills the stadium air the game lies just as much in the stands as it does on the field.

The Cast

This structured social event involves a multitude of moving parts. Orchestrating the show takes a village of coaches, teachers, band directors, cheer sponsors, and of course the actual players to come together with the common goal of putting together an event that we can all enjoy.

“When you talk about Friday night lights and all the different moving parts, it’s funny, but at the end of the day, football is one of the smaller parts of the Friday night atmosphere if you really think about it,” says Houston High School Coach, Will Hudgens. “Obviously not from our standpoint, but if you survey people on why they go to the games – it’s for the concession smell, the sound of the band, for the cheerleaders and the energy like we have here at Houston. It’s when it all comes together that it makes something really special. Football is just one of the toughest sports you can play. There is no other sport you have to practice so long for to play one game a week. And the reward of being able to go out there and see how many people are involved in all those moving parts, and are there to support you as a player, and support the band, the cheerleaders – it’s a great feeling for those guys.”

The sound of the band is one aspect that can really control the morale of the stadium. We can feel the sense of necessity in making the first down with every beat of the drumline. We can also celebrate when the trumpets sound that a touchdown has been made. “During the game, we see ourselves as the party captain! Our job is to make sure the student section and all of our fans are engaged and cheering on the football team, and are having a blast doing it,” says Briarcrest Band Director, Michael Parsons. “When we take the field during halftime, our student population and our fans have a huge amount of respect for the band. And the cool thing is, when we start to perform, the crowd really gets quiet! They stop what they’re doing and watch us! At Briarcrest we are a valued part of the whole program. They (fans) enjoy and appreciate our show, which is kind of unique. So then after halftime, we get back into the stands and the party continues!”

The energy that comes from Friday nights in the fall is contagious. It ripples out from the stadium touching the whole town according to St. George’s Head Coach, David Carter. “Fall football games can really affect the energy of your student body. If you’re having a successful fall, and success for us is that the kids in the stands are fighting for the kids on the field, and the kids on the field are super appreciative of the support that they have in the stands. If they are supporting each other, that energy carries over into the classrooms, and into the hallways and into the faculty, and it goes out into the community,” says Coach Carter. “Football can really help build the culture of the school, if it’s done well.”

If anyone understands the need to motivate a crowd, it’s the cheerleaders. This group works relentlessly to create a united atmosphere through the use of chants and stunts that encourage the crowd to become invested in the game. The cheerleaders are just one of the many faces that represent their school, an important responsibility Collierville High Cheer Sponsor, Kristy Krotzer, doesn’t take lightly. “I tell our girls all the time that whether you’re in that uniform or out, everybody knows you are a cheerleader, and you’re representing not only our school, but this team, and our community – because everybody loves Collierville football, and you get to be a big part of that! Even the little ones will come out on the sidelines and cheer with us for a little while, and when we throw out footballs during the game, all the kids will run up. They’re watching! And we want to draw their attention to the field and encourage everyone to cheer on our team.”

The importance of a passionate fan base is paramount under the Friday Night lights. According to Collierville High School Head Coach, Mike O’Neill, the intensity of the game lies just as much in the stands as it does on the field. “In Collierville I’ve noticed that the school spirit is at another level. I tell my football kids all the time, especially during halftime, ‘Hey look… let’s give our fans something to cheer about’, because we’re state champions in terms of our student section. We have the best student section in the state and I’ve said that for years! And with every game they continue to have that spirit, and the community shows support around that. It really is very exciting when it all comes together. The players feed off that energy. Even at the high school level, if you can get a very loud crowd that is into the game, it can be very intimidating and I feel like at Collierville, we certainly have an edge in that department.”

Parents and faculty really show up in a very supportive way when it comes to bringing the Friday night full circle. These men and women are working behind the scenes in all facets of the stadium, from cooking and serving at the concessions, to monitoring ‘behind the bleachers’, collecting ticket stubs, and helping quickly bring band equipment on and off the field at halftime. These parents are proud to see their kids and the students working together towards a common goal. “The Houston Band does a phenomenal job of supporting and rallying behind their football team. And when the football team gets excited, the band members get excited, and the parents in turn get excited to see their kids excited! It is a kind of energy that you don’t get anywhere else,” says Alison Coons, parent of band member and publicity chair for the Houston Band Boosters. “Everybody is out there for the same reason, from the parents to the students, everybody is out there because they want to be supporting each other. It’s not just about football. You’ve got people that are going to be just as passionate talking about their kids on the football team, as I am talking about the band! And that’s a great thing! It’s a family thing. It’s families out there supporting each other, supporting each other’s kids, and the program whether it’s football, cheerleading, band… they don’t exist without the family support – in any school. We’re dedicated not just to our kids, but to everybody’s kids, to make this high school experience something that they will cherish and that we as parents cherish too.”

For many of us, the Friday night show is a constant throughout our lives – experiencing it first as kids, then as a parent, relative or maybe even in our work. The experience we have as individuals is different, but there’s little doubt that we are all shaped by it.

By Anna Bell Photos by Danielle Lee Photography & Dr. Nancy Kelley