Friday Night Lights

The roar of the crowd. The sound of the band. The smell of burgers cooking and fresh popcorn. Excited high schoolers dressed in this week’s theme: In high school there’s nothing quite like Friday Night Lights. 

Football draws the biggest crowds, and has the most fan support of any other sport in high school. And when you’re playing for the seven-time state champion Mill Valley Jaguars, all eyes are on you when you step onto the field.

For most players, running out on the field to do battle — home or away — is a feeling like no other.

“Stepping under the lights on a Friday night is one of the best feelings you will have in your life,” said junior defensive lineman Josh Garcia. 

“It’s a different type of feeling stepping under the lights. You get an adrenaline rush and nothing else matters for the next two and a half hours,” said senior defensive lineman Hayden Heller.

“Playing on a Friday night is unlike any other high school sport,” said senior defensive back Jaxon Masek. “In other sports you play multiple games throughout the week but in football it’s only on Friday’s. This excitement makes the game even more special. The fans and community are also another great part of the sport. There is no better feeling than seeing your town support you.”

“Stepping onto the field on a Friday night just feels amazing,” said senior wide receiver Bryce Shorten. “The adrenaline rush and just being out on the field having fun with your teammates is just an amazing experience.”

Some players have waited years for the opportunity to step onto the field and play meaningful minutes for the Jaguars but they’ve all spent countless hours preparing for the moment. 

To be a Jaguar takes commitment. That means getting up at 6 a.m. to lift weights. Studying film. Learning the playbook inside and out. And, oh yeah, hours and hours of practice.

Practice makes perfect. But no amount of practice can prepare you for life under the lights. 

“You can truly tell the difference in the atmosphere,” said senior defensive back Landon Stockwell.  “You can feel it all throughout your body. You’ve put all the work in throughout the week to absolutely dominate the field when you step onto it so everybody is amped and on edge to go play at full speed.”

“There is more energy in a game compared to other days,” said Masek. “This energy is built from the excitement of the past days and waiting all day for the chance to play under the lights. This energy is unlike any other experience and everybody can feel it.”

Friday night lights can be intimidating. The Jaguars are a state powerhouse and get every team's best shot. Each player has their own way of dealing with the power of Friday night lights. 

“Mentally preparing is hard for a big game because you never know how you feel until you step on the field and start playing,” Garcia said. “The way I try to mentally prepare is listening to music. It helps me hype myself up.”

For Stockwell, he tries to clear his mind before taking the field.

“I really just want to focus on breathing and not getting too amped up so I can be as calm as possible,” he said.

“I prepare by watching film and hearing feedback from the coaches all week to perfect my craft for the week and that gives me great confidence because I know the community supports us a ton,” said Shorten.

Masek takes the field full of confidence in the team’s game plan and the work he and his teammates have put in during the week. 

“I feel confident with my preparation and only think about my job and winning,” he said.

Heller is one of the more experienced Jaguars on the team. Having played since he was a sophomore, he’s seen it all and done it all. And the moment is never too big for him.

“I mentally prepare by remembering all my practice reps and the games I have played before,” he said. “My success has become something I can fall to when I ever get nervous.”

Friday nights bring an energy like no other. At home, Jaguar Stadium is filled with fans. The student section is so hyped it’s almost ready to explode. And western Shawnee comes out in droves to see the football team in action. Most players feed off of that energy.

“When the crowd screams in excitement it brings a different type of energy,” said Masek. “All the players and fans get excited and our confidence grows. When I hear the crowd for the first time on Friday I get pumped up and motivated. I get excited and take some time to take it all in.”

“Me and the defense feeds from the energy from the crowd. It’s almost like the 12th man on the field that can fuel your next play,” said Heller.

The energy from the crowd affects me a lot. If the crowd is up and going crazy it helps me play at a higher level,” said Garcia.

Some players try to tune out the crowd and concentrate on the job at hand.

“Honestly the lights and the crowd energy have no effect on me,” said Stockwell. “When I’m in the game I tend to have tunnel vision with one goal in mind.”

Shorten tries to block out the crowd noise but sometimes finds it difficult to do.

“​​Most times I tune out the crowd but the times I listen to them it hypes me up,” he said.

The Jaguars players realize on Friday nights that they’re not just representing themselves but the school, but the entire community as well.

“Representing the school and the community is a big honor,” said Stockwell. “We’re very blessed to live in the community that we do and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“I’m very proud to represent our school and community. This is very important to me and also to give back to our community,” said Masek. 

“Friday nights are so special for the team but are so special for the school because it’s a time when the whole school becomes one and cheers for the team,” said Garcia.

One might think that playing for a highly ranked team and a Kansas powerhouse would bring with it added pressure. But the Jaguar players trust in their coaching, preparation and game plan to get them through anything that happens on the field.

“I just have to remind myself that all of the work I’ve put in isn’t for nothing, it’s to showcase it out on the field and have fun,” said Stockwell. “I’ve worked too hard not to have fun”

“To be honest I feel no pressure when I’m playing and I see my classmates and my family because it’s a game that I love and I play my heart out every day,” said Garcia.

“Friday nights bring us together because everyone wants to be a part of success because it’s fun,” said Shorten "So when we do what we are trained to do then people like to be around us and support us and it brings everyone together.”

“Games bring the team together by everyone striving to have the same goal of beating the team on the other sideline,” said Heller. “It brings the community together by giving them something fun to watch and cheer for.”

“All of the work that we have done all comes down to Friday nights,” said Masek. “We have put in so much work all year and it’s our time to showcase that work.”

The Jaguars will showcase their skills tonight as they take on Shawnee Mission North in their season finale. Game time is 7 p.m. at Jaguar Stadium.