On Friday, August 27th Recht Field saw the return of Boulder High football and its many fans for the first time since the pandemic began. The team spirit and community was passionately cheering from the stands, an experience Boulder football hasn’t had since their season before the pandemic. The game was close and Boulder put up a strong fight against our biggest rivals. The hyped energy the football team brought to their opening game showed glimpses of what can be expected as the season continues. The return of the Team Rowdy chants, saved for our biggest rivals, Fairview, made the night that much more captivating.

Boulder scored their first touchdown in the middle of the first quarter. Fairview was already up by seven, but we were making a comeback. The crowd went wild and the possibility of a win added to the adrenaline coursing through the stands.

Fairview had multiple penalties due to moments of unsportsmanlike conduct. The Panthers, on the other hand, maintained their cool throughout one of the most emotional games of the season and received zero penalty yards. They proved they were the better team when the ball wasn’t in play. Practices for the football team are structured in a way that drives proper sportsmanship. New Head Coach Van Patten said, “I was very proud of our guys for being disciplined that way.” 

After half time, the score was down with Fairview in the lead. The morale was dropping in the Boulder High stands. Across the field, Fairview was drowning out Team Rowdy with the ferocity of their chants. However, the back and forth bickering had to stop for knees to be taken in regard to the injuries happening on both teams.

Tristan Lagenegger, ‘22, and starting quarterback, offered some insight into some of his plays. Communication seemed to be an issue with some receivers running in the wrong place or the crowd being so loud that the right plays couldn’t be correctly executed. Despite that, in the third quarter Boulder High scored a touchdown with the help of Luke Zana, ‘22. After feeling defeated with how the second quarter was going, the touchdown boosted morale and proved the perseverance Boulder High Football has. Lagenegger said, “[It was] the most emotions I’ve ever felt during a football game… that play really brought us back.”

For the future, Coach Van Patten says, “As long as our kids go out and compete game in and game out and give everything they got, that’s all I can ask of them.”