This year, Pirates are testing out their “land legs” with the addition of tailgating to ‘Friday Night Lights.’

“I think tailgating is extremely helpful in getting everyone excited for the game that night. There’s free food, games to play, face painting, and it’s a great chance to bond with your fellow Pirates,” Canaan Kerr, junior and Student Council Treasurer, says about tailgating. “It allows us to get everyone pumped up with tons of enthusiasm and school spirit,”

Right before kickoff for the football games on Aug. 30 and Sept. 13, everybody headed over to the stadium for the best part of the evening: the game.

On the far right of the bleachers is the student section where Pirates get ‘a little bit rowdy.’

Cheering, silly string, the roller coaster, T-shirts for touchdowns, and enjoying the game with friends are just some of the excitement generated by participating in the student section. With its own made up cheers and dances, students from all grade levels come to join in on the fun.

Every home game has a theme as well. For Week 2, instead of the usual sea of green, everyone was dressed in red, white, blue, and camouflage clothing reflecting the patriotic theme for the game.

“It’s neat to see all the different kinds of students coming together to cheer on our Pirates and the fact that people aren’t afraid to get loud is awesome,” junior Michelle Cummings said about what she likes most about the student section.