Spot: The Friday Night Lights Are Turned On

Friday, September 13, 2024

The Friday Night Lights Are Turned On

DUKE CANNON HAS BEEN WAITING ALL WEEK FOR FRIDAY NIGHT

Football on Sunday nights, Monday nights, heck even Thursday nights are all great—let's be honest, we would watch football seven days a week if we could. But few things get us fired up like watching a spirited high school game play out under the Friday night lights. Why? Certainly, there are seasonal and ritualistic aspects at play, but there is also a roster full of potent details that make it a fall mainstay as well. Here are some of them that make our highlight reel.

CAMARADERIE

This is a virtue that we place a lot of weight on, and there a few places where you will see it manifested more than on the high school football field. These kids cheer each other on, help their teammates up, and respectfully take a knee if someone on the other team goes down. Then, when the dust settles, they all line up and shakes hands, no matter the result. It's just like they say: there is no "i" in team.

CONCESSIONS

We are often racing to games directly from work, which means concession stand fare often serves as our Friday night meal. Far from dreading it, our body looks forward to it during the fall months, much as one does caramel apples and pumpkin pie once the weather cools. A couple foil-wrapped hot dogs, with a small brown bag of popcorn? Yes, please. The only downside? They cannot serve beer on premises.

PEP BANDS

Simply put: If you can't find enjoyment in a bunch of high school kids blasting out "Sweet Caroline" and the like on brass and wind instruments, you should probably consult a physician.

OLD TIMERS

To be sure, there are no shortage of grandparents in the Friday night football crowds, but we are talking about a different kind of octogenarian. The kind who has zero family members on the field and yet never misses a game. The kind who munches statistics like Tic Tacs, and correctly identifies penalties before the ref even pulls out their flag. These are the high school football old timers, and if you happen to be seated next one you are in for a treat, because they will selflessly offer you drink after drink from their miles-deep well of gridiron knowledge. Savor it.

THAT ONE STAND-OUT KID

Every small town has one. A 16-year-old behemoth who drags half of the other team down the field when handed the ball, or is a completely unblockable wrecking ball on defense. This kid does more than just play football: he sells tickets, keeps the coach employed, and provides teammates with some classic "I used to play with him" stories down the road. Treasure him before he heads off to play D1 ball at Southern Illinois.

FOOTBALL GAMES ARE WON IN THE TRENCHES

Skill positions get all the glory, but the fact is a football team cannot move the ball without a stout offensive line. These hard-working fellows may not show up in the stat columns, but we are giving them the spotlight they deserve with our new 5-part series O-LINE. Take a look as we highlight five college players at different schools, and see what makes these unique and special players linchpins of their teams.