The Friday Night Lights are back. On August 27th, West High’s football season commenced as Varsity players stormed the field of Fred Peterson Stadium to the cheers of a roaring crowd. While the game ended with a 0-31 loss to the Culver City Centaurs, the Warrior spirit persevered. West returned strong on Friday, September 3rd to secure their first victory, concluding a memorable first two weeks of the season for players and spectators alike. 

   Varsity quarterback #4 Ronan Taylor (12) expressed that the team felt “excited to get to play again,” especially since returning players felt unsatisfied with the end of last season. The revitalization of school spirit and energy also added an extra layer of excitement: as linebacker and receiver #22 Elias Overstreet (11) recalled, “last year some of the games had little or no fans so it didn’t feel the same.” The return of both the West High Entertainment Unit and stands full of spectators formed the signature energetic atmosphere of a typical football game. 

   For many students, the event reinvigorated social interaction and evoked feelings of nostalgia. As Natalia Torres (11) shared, “I love going to the football games to interact with everyone… I enjoyed being able to talk to so many people that I haven’t [with] in so long.” Eva Reyes (11), one of the captains of Varsity Cheer, added that cheering in front of a large crowd “was really special” and allowed for “a bit [of] normalcy” amidst the start of a unique school year. 

   While West was 17 points behind at halftime, their dedication to the game still shined through. Taylor shared an important moment between players before the third quarter: “We came together and instead of being sad for ourselves we all talked about ways we could do our jobs better and critiqued our own performance.” Although the team had hoped for a different outcome, they remained determined to push forward and chose to “correct [their] mistakes and miscommunications” for their next game.

   The team’s driven, united mentality certainly paid off: just one week later, West took their first victory of the season, securing a 17-6 win on home soil against the Santa Monica Vikings. 

   Taylor acknowledged the team’s defense, who made three interceptions and two fumble recoveries throughout the game. “Even though we were missing a few of our starters… we had some of the young guys step up and they did really good at getting their job and assignments done,” he expressed. Upon the big win, the West High community joined the team in celebration. School spirit and camaraderie were flying high as both cheerleaders and students were “jumping up and down,” Reyes remembered. But although the first few weeks of the season have concluded, the excitement has just begun.