WHS Football

A Thought or Two on Western High School's First Football Team

This summer, I spent most mornings running around the track at Western High School. Running is usually a time of contemplation for me, and I had much to ponder as I rounded each stretch. My mind drifted back 24 years ago when I was a senior at WHS. I was president of the Student Council, but before I got elected, I stood in the middle of the gym floor and looked up into the stands of my peers. I do not recall many things as I age; however, I do recollect that day. I felt like I was running for President of the United States instead of Student Council. 

I am not a Latham native as are many of the people with whom I had gone to school. I transferred to Western from northern Ohio when I was only a freshman. The school I attended up north had an indoor swimming pool, air conditioning, and of course, Friday night football. How exciting life had been for me then - dressing up in my blue and gold, hanging out in the stands with my friends, listening to the booming voice of the announcer as our team scored a touchdown, feeling the vibrations of the synchronized feet of all the fans as they cheered on our football team. The feeling of the stadium lights beating down on us while we danced to "Hang on Sloopy" while stuffing our faces with hot dogs from the concession stand was a moment etched in time. One I will never forget. 

Imagine my surprise when I moved to Western and found out that they not only did not have an indoor swimming pool, but they also did not have air conditioning. Moreover, there was no football team. Oh, the horror. My young mind could not comprehend the logic behind a school not having a football team. Didn't all schools have one? What did people do on Friday nights? Now, I could probably tell you nothing about football except that when a player has the ball, he had better be running down the field toward the post before the other team tackled him. However, I can tell you everything about the feeling of watching that player run down the field and seeing the hope and excitement on the faces of fans.

That indescribable feeling is what gave me the determination to stand in the gym my senior year, look up in the stands at my peers, and proclaim, "If you vote for me, I will not only improve our school lunches, but I will get a football team started at this school!" Needless to say, I did not only fail at improving the school lunches in my time, but I also did not get a football team started; I did get voted Student Council President though. My words, during my campaign, were not empty words. I found out I had no control over school lunches, and I went to the principal's office frequently to push for a football team. I was informed that our school was too small for one, and not only that, but no one would come to the games, and of course, there was no money to support a team. So many rules. I had accomplished little except becoming public enemy number 1 of the principal. I felt defeated, but more than that, I felt like I had failed all of the kids who had put their faith in me and voted me "into office".

So, this summer, as I ran around the track, I was witness to the tall growing grass in the middle of the field, I watched as the hoses were stretched and pulled until they were far enough into the field to quench the thirst of the weeds, I saw the used scoreboard leaning against the football equipment, and I saw the "birth" of the locker rooms/powerlifting building. I cannot deny that I felt more than a twinge of excitement at the thought that, finally, Western was going to get a football team. I know there is more to starting a team than building locker rooms. I look to my right and see the tiny bleachers that we will use for our fans. I look around the field and there are no stadium lights. Our scoreboard is not a new one but at least we have one, we don't have cheerleaders, but we have a team. From day to day, we don't know who will stay on to persevere or who will quit, but we still have a team.