On Friday, September 20, Enloe’s annual Homecoming football game will be held at the Eagle Stadium. This year, Enloe will be facing off against the Knightdale Knights. A classic high school tradition, Homecoming begins with spirit week, to get everyone excited for the big game. For all of Homecoming week, Enloe’s teams, from the football team to the cheerleaders to the band, are all working their hardest to make sure that the stadium is pumped on Friday.
Riding the high of last year’s Homecoming game, where Enloe beat Broughton 48 to 28, Enloe students and teachers have high hopes for another win this year. Head coach and Enloe alum Ryan Clark recalls, “My junior year (2007), we won our Homecoming game for the first time in years at Enloe, which is very similar to our Homecoming win last year against Broughton. […] We will work extremely hard to give our school back-to-back Homecoming wins.”
However, it’s not just the prospect of winning the game that makes Homecoming so special. The entire atmosphere of the school seems to change for the week, crescendoing in the glow of the Friday night lights.
The Enloe Eagle Marching Band is one of the essential elements of the atmosphere. From their halftime performance to the music between each play, the band— especially the drum line— can make or break the atmosphere of a football game. ”I feel like us being a part of the football games adds a lot of spirit to not just the band and student section, but also the football team as well!” comments band member Aathu Sutharshan. The band exists to hype up both the student section as well as the football team. In a sort of symbiotic relationship, the more the football team scores, the more the band plays. The more that the band plays, the more opportunities they have to encourage the players.
Another team of Enloe students provides an equally vibrant spirit- the cheerleaders. Athletes in their own right, Enloe’s cheerleader’s stunts, green and gold pom-poms, and cheers create an atmosphere that is absolutely infectious. Cheerleader Danni Tucker adds, “Being a part of football games is euphoric. I love how spirited the cheerleaders, band, and student section is!”
While all of these elements are present at every game, Homecoming is special because of just how big the student section gets. Any student can join in the cheering— as long as they can find room to stand!
The football players themselves, of course, are the stars of this show. They practice for much of the year, almost every day after school until 5:30. In addition to this, the players make sure to study up on the weekends, watching videos of both Enloe’s games as well as those of their upcoming opponents to strategize.
No matter how the game goes, the players can be sure that all of Enloe will continue to cheer them on. When asked about coaching the team, Coach Clark remarked, “My favorite part about coaching this team is just continuing to develop our players as a team and as people. I love working with them and they continue to impact my life every day.”
“The best part of Homecoming is seeing the whole school come together and have fun and show out!! Personally, I loved getting to be with friends in and out of the marching band to celebrate Homecoming week!” adds Aathu.
So, make sure to show up and show out this Friday! Homecoming is all about Enloe as a community. Don your green and gold, do some tailgating, and try not to blow out your voice shouting “SKO EAGS!” See you there, Enloe!
