The Program: A season with Oakwood football, Part V
Sep. 17—FITHIAN — The 10 seniors on the Oakwood football team aren't just refining their plays and schemes this week. They're learning moves beyond what they work on during practices at the grass field located just behind the main set of bleachers at Marty McFarland Field. That's because on Friday afternoon they have to perform a routine with the Oakwood cheerleaders during an all-school pep ...
Homecoming week at Oakwood High School brings a flurry of activities and concerns for the football team and its support staff. As the seniors on the team, there's more to their preparation than just refining plays and schemes. They must learn moves for a routine with the cheerleaders during the all-school pep assembly, which takes place after school.
Meanwhile, the team faces the challenge of Clifton Central, a crucial Vermilion Valley Conference game scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. The week is further marked by themed attire, starting with pajama day on Monday, followed by animal print on Tuesday, swap day on Wednesday, dress your age day on Thursday, and finally, class color day on Friday.
Cameron Lee, the Oakwood football coach, acknowledges the spirit of the town during homecoming week but acknowledges the need to maintain focus on the game. He handles the distractions of themed days and assemblies with the hope that the team's performance on Friday night will demonstrate their readiness. The football team shares the stage with cheerleaders, dance team members, and the marching band, all contributing to the festive atmosphere at Marty McFarland Field.
Matte Lee, Cameron's wife and the Oakwood cheerleading coach, emphasizes the close-knit nature of the cheerleading squad, which consists of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and a freshman. The cheerleaders, despite their fun-loving and hardworking nature, understand the importance of maintaining focus on the game. Senior cheerleaders Jett Pierce, Karsyn Vogel, and Rylan Wilson are particularly aware that this may be their last regular-season home game, as the Oakwood Cornjerkers have forfeited their remaining games due to an unforeseen situation.
The cheerleading squad is involved in various activities throughout the week, including decorating lockers, planning a school-wide decoration spree, and hosting a team breakfast. On Friday, they perform at the pep assembly, attend classes, and then head to the homecoming parade. The senior cheerleaders, in particular, look forward to the senior night introduction at 6:30 p.m. The homecoming parade is a well-attended event, and Cameron Lee hopes the football team will perform as well as they do during the parade.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
