NPHS football program brings community together
Introduction-
Over the last few years, the Newbury Park High School football program has risen in popularity not only on campus but on the national level. While football has always been a popular high school sport, NPHS takes it to a whole other level. Our program has grown to consist of many different components including a medical team, media team, student section and more. Football is not just a game here at NPHS. It is a culture.
Welcome to the jungle– The ear splitting thunder that comes from the very end of our stands is no other than the Panther Pit and Owen Meli, senior, leading the energized crowd to support the Panthers out on the field. “My favorite part about leading the pit, honestly [is] when you get the whole section, it’s just super loud, and you can hear that roar. I think that’s my favorite part of it. It’s just so fun when you’re getting ready for a game. What are you most excited for, usually, the outfits, they’re fun to put on, all the themes, when they come together and it works out well, that’s probably my favorite part,” Meli said.
The explosive cheering can be heard all around the echoing stadium, and the person in charge of this excitement stands in front of the Panther Pit. In her first year being part of the pit, Jessica Leff, senior, is creating memories for Panthers that they will not soon forget. “I think the pit helps the students interact with the games. Even if you’re not necessarily a big fan of football, you still enjoy going because you get to hang out with the whole student section. And we all get to come together for a common goal and just have fun,” Leff said.
Get loud!– At the head of the halftime roar, Sienna Jones, senior, can be seen performing with the NPHS dance team on the open field, bringing the community together in more ways than one. “I think working as a team brings the football community together and adds to the excitement because as a team, we’re a bigger group that people see rather than just one person and I feel like if all of us have a lot of energy and add to the excitement of the game, it contributes to the football spirit,” Jones said.
When it comes to staying focused and entertaining a crowd, Jones puts her effort into one of the most exciting parts of halftime, “It’s honestly just a lot of practicing things as a team rather than by ourselves. Obviously by ourselves we go over corrections to know what we are doing but as a team it’s very important because we want to make sure we all look the same because from a distance if one person is off, it’s really easy to tell,” Jones said. Her teamwork and energy makes for a spellbinding performance, entertaining the packed stands until the next quarter begins. The crowd can easily see the effort the NPHS dance team has put into their performance and the long lasting impression stays with people once the stands are empty and beyond.
Picture perfect– Hidden throughout the waves of football players and photographers, Brody Wright, junior, is at the front lines of the media team, “I’ve made so many connections through the football team here, and I met so many cool people. I’ve made new friendships. I’ve met people who’ve made connections,” Wright said, looking back at all the fond memories and people he’s met from his opportunities.
Wright waits, constantly catching photos of players zipping across the field, ready for the excitement that Friday nights bring to his photography, “The vibes on the field itself with the huge crowd and, like, people just screaming at each other. It’s kind of crazy to be kind of in the middle there where you have one team here, your team here, and you’re kind of right in the middle of all that action,” Wright said.
Code Med– Behind the scenes of the electric football games on the sidelines, taking care of players, is Chelsea Ruggiero, Head Trainer at NPHS. “I think all of our services are beneficial to the team because it helps keep them ready to play in games, however the football players would say [the most beneficial services are] tape [for injury] and water,” Ruggiero said.
Ruggiero is excited about the new changes coming to NPHS. “I personally think all the recent changes to the football games are fun! It doesn’t make it harder to work because we all tend to stay out of each other’s way so we can do the best job we can. I think it’s really cool that we’re getting so many people coming to our games and making the environment so fun to be at on Friday nights” Ruggiero said.
Touchdown– As the program grows, so does the competition. Brady Smigel, junior quarterback, finds that the new competitiveness has brought a new sense of community to the team. “The competitiveness has definitively risen through the years I’ve been here. I think this team has fully bought into the staff this year and truly believe in one another this year,” Smigel said.
The Panther Pit is a huge aspect of our football program not only because of its social aspect but because of the energy it brings to the field. Smigel finds that the Pit brings students together and excites players. “My favorite part of Friday Night Lights is seeing our student section when running out of the tunnel. I think it’s really special to see kids of all grades from our school go out and support our football team,” Smigel said.
