Reedy lions showed their pride Saturday, August 27th at the newly built stadium, The Ford Center At The Star. There as a football player, cheerleader, drill team member, or supporting from the stands, the students came together and had an amazing day.

“The Star definitely met my expectations in terms of the wow factor,” drill team Director Kristy Platt said. “Considering it is only a practice stadium, it looked amazing and was a beautiful sight.”

For one student, in particular, this was a very special day. Will Harbour is the first freshman to have made varsity at Reedy High, and this game was like no other he had ever played.

“The guys were really welcoming and just treated me like every other teammate,” Harbour said. “The most memorable moment was running through the tunnel for the first time and seeing the enormous crowd.”

This is Reedy’s first year as a varsity team, but the team is placed at a huge disadvantage from the start because there is no senior class.

“Because we’re now a varsity team the pace of play is much faster, and we’re having to play against seniors who are older and much bigger than us,” sophomore varsity player Josh Foskey said. “I think we’ll do better at the next game in the Star center because we’ll be less nervous and awestruck, and be able to focus more on the game and less on the experience.”

The football team wasn’t the only ones with a job to do that day. Sharing the field was the beloved Sapphires and cheerleading team.

“The girls’ performance was amazing, I’ll never forget our first time together as a second line,” Platt said. “I am most proud of the fact that every single girl looked perfect in their movements and attitudes. It was one of the best times I had seen them do the dance.”

One of the reasons why this game was so special for many people was because it was a game full of firsts.

“Being the first drill team to perform there was surreal because it’s a once in a lifetime experience,” sophomore and drill team officer Katelyn Lewellen said. “Last year’s football games were definitely more laid back, but this year our student section actually has school spirit and the games are a lot more fun.”

Everyone was thrilled to see the brand new stadium, filled with an unforgettable atmosphere and a hyped up crowd.

“It was an amazing experience to be the first cheerleaders at The Star,” sophomore Molly Palaschak said. “The student section was a lot more spirited this year and you could tell everyone was having fun. I loved getting to pump them up.”  

A good football game is nothing without a halftime show to match, and the two schools’ band performance was certainly not one to be missed.

“It was neat to be the first band to play at the stadium,” junior band member Caroline Smith said. “Performing with Independence was the best part of the night. We’ve never performed with another school’s band before.”

The students and faculty who attended were astonished at how awestruck the experience was.

“The Star stadium blew my expectations out of the water,” junior and school mascot Oliver Stratton said. “It was really great to see so much school pride in one place.”

From the field to the stands, overall everyone had an eventful and positive day. Win or lose, Reedy had an amazing start to the year.

“I’m really glad I went, it was cool to be the first ones to ever be in the stands,” sophomore Dalila Barrientos said. “The center was so alluring, it was all silver and shiny. It was definitely a memorable experience for everyone.”