One person all students at Pattonville should know is the head varsity football coach, Steve Smith.
Smith is an alum of Pattonville. He graduated as a Pirate in 1993 and has always had a passion for football and physical education.
“It’s always been a dream of mine since I was an 8th grader to teach P.E or coach football,” Smith said, who has now been teaching for 15 years.
Football season is here and it’s time to start getting into the spirit of the Friday night lights now that the stadium is ready for the up-and-coming season.
Smith sarcastically said he doesn’t like the new stadium.
“The old stadium was way better,” Smith said. “The locker room is what I miss the most, with the smell of the old mold.”
But on a more serious note, he added, “I do like the new stadium. It’s the best I’ve seen. I want to get a tent and sleep out there it’s so nice.”
Smith said last year’s team was young but they gained a lot of varsity experience for this season.
“There were a lot of lumps, now we’re the lumpers,” Smith said. “We’ve been working hard; we started in January in the weight room, and had many summer practices. We’re gelling together as a team, and we are more confident.”
The team is preparing for its first real game on Aug. 24 at Kirkwood. The first home game on the new field will be against Lafayette on Aug. 31.