The spirit of the crowd at South’s home games is unmatched, from the loud cheering to the crazy blue and gold outfits and face paint. Not only are the games fun to attend, but they also set an example of the tight-knit community that South is, explained junior Claira Paul.

Attending football games and showing school spirit is the ideal high school experience for Paul. As a member of the Student Council and Titan Nation, Paul prioritizes getting involved with the school and showing her school spirit as much as possible.

“Ever since I was a freshman, I would see high schoolers in the front [of the crowd] getting absolutely [hyped] and influencing the crowd to get hype as well,” Paul said. “The crowd, the chants, the music—it doesn’t stop, and [there’s] always adrenaline rushing through.”

Paul also finds it important to attend the school’s football games because it shows the opposing team South’s school pride and builds a strong foundation for the student body, she said. 

“[School spirit is] important because it’s how we view ourselves and how we want other schools to view us,” Paul said. 

Although his children are not out on the field, South parent Colin Crawford often spends his Friday nights in the crowd of the football games. 

“My favorite parts [of the football games are] getting out in the community, supporting the team, and seeing friends,” Crawford said. “None of my kids have ever played football, but I enjoy [going to] the games. It’s important for parents to set an example to support your kids’ school and be here on a Friday night.”

With pompoms in hand and a smile on her face, South parent Irene Benedict stands up and cheers loudly for her son as she watches the game closely. Benedict attends every game, both home and away, in support of her son Patrick who plays on the football team, she explained. 

“The Titan community is amazing,” Benedict said. “It’s so fun to come out and see all the great spirits [and] the fun atmosphere of Friday Night Lights.”

Having had three children attend South, all sports players, parent Bob Bruno is no stranger to sitting in the crowd. His youngest daughter Bianca is a member of Poms, and he and his wife attend every home game she performs in, he said. They both find it very important to get involved and support their daughter through attending her games, Bruno stated.

“[Me and my wife] love coming to the [South] field,” Bruno said. “[Bianca’s] our youngest, [and] our only dancer, [but] all three [or our children] have played under the lights for different sports.” 

Seeing her upperclassmen friends going all out at pep rallies and sports games encouraged senior Bella Zimmer to join Titan Nation. She believes it is important to attend football games to encourage other students to get involved and motivate the players on the field. 

“[I try] to get [other students] as involved as they can to form a big, supportive community,” Zimmer said. “[Attending these games] shows that we support our team and brings the whole [school] together.”

Seeing her upperclassmen friends going all out at pep rallies and sports games encouraged senior Bella Zimmer to join Titan Nation. She believes it is important to attend football games to encourage other students to get involved and motivate the players on the field. 

“[I try] to get [other students] as involved as they can to form a big, supportive community,” Zimmer said. “[Attending these games] shows that we support our team and brings the whole [school] together.”