On Friday, October 28, the regular high school football season will come to a close. The undefeated Leesville Pride is scheduled to play their rival, Wake Forest Rolesville, on Leesville’s Senior Night. If the Pride successfully defeats WFR, they will land a spot as a number one seed in the playoffs.
LRHS and WFR are both 7-0 in the conference and have each won 9 games this season. WFR, however, has lost one game to East Wake, a non Cap-8 team.
Winning this game would ensure home field advantage for the majority of the play-offs, a welcome change after a mostly-away regular season.
Coach Smothers claims that this Friday night is no different than any other, and that “it’s only a big game because they’re our next opponent;” however, the Loonies are treating it as such.
Administrators expect at least 4,000 people to show up for the game and for “Loonyville” to be entirely full. They have even brought in extra bleachers.
The football moms encourage fans to come out, promising Pride towels to the first 900 fans to arrive at the game. Administrators suggest arriving to the game by 6 p.m. to grab a seat and support the seniors on their Senior Night.
The Leesville administration granted permission for senior students to wear their senior crowns to school and the game on Friday.
While seniors are receiving this privilege, Smothers also expects underclassmen Loonies to be at the game “loud and excited, pumping energy into the stadium.”
To ensure this expected spirit, the postponed Homecoming pep rally will be held during fourth period on Friday, infusing the school with energy and spirit.
For pre-game spirit, the grill team will be grilling out, as usual, at the Springdale field at 4:30 to provide the Loonies with burgers, hot dogs and drinks for a dollar before the game.
The football payers are also practicing appropriately for the big game.
Adam Grakhosvskiy, senior, claims that the team “isn’t preparing differently at all.” According to Grakhosvskiy, “We all know who we are playing and what’s at stake, but we plan on practicing 110% of the week just like we prepared for all of our other opponents this season.”
Chris Lehman, senior and kicker, agrees with this method. “We’re doing everything we’ve done up to this point because it’s worked. As long as it keeps working, we’ll keep doing it.”
Lehman and Grakhosvskiy agree that our team’s offense is hard to beat. “Our offense has a lot of options. We can pass, run it, whatever. We have a lot of ways to run the ball.” said Lehman.
Grakhosvskiy said, “ We have a very good O-line to compliment explosive players, and our defense is improving too.”
Coach Smothers agreed that the team’s “experienced offensive line” and “great time speed” will behoove the team under the Friday night lights.
No matter what the outcome, the game is sure to be an exciting one. According to Smothers, we can be sure to expect an “exciting, intense and very competative football game.”
Katy has been on staff since her sophomore year, starting as a staff writer. With hard work and diligence, she earned a junior editor position and ultimately became Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She will pursue a degree in journalism in college.
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