Friday Night Lights: A NIGHT THEY ALL REMEMBER

When it comes to high school football, every single game is important.

After all, there are only so many. But there is something extra special about playing at home, especially when it's homecoming and you're a senior.

For the Havre High football team, the homecoming game, which is one of just two remaining home games for the Blue Ponies, always carries extra significance and with the team sitting at 0-5, the chance to break through for the first win of the season, makes it even more exciting.

"It's kind of sad that it's the last homecoming game," Havre senior Jacob Irvin said. "I have always been pretty excited and fired up about homecoming but now I am even more now that we are seniors."

Of course, if the Ponies are going to get their first win of the season tonight against unbeaten Sidney, they will need to play inspired football. But in the final homecoming game for the senior class, getting fired up, shouldn't be much of a challenge.

"Every week for a football player you are excited for a Friday night," Brady Ophus, another senior football player said. "But homecoming is a little more special, the school is more focused on it and has a little more energy."

Another member of the senior class, Dawson Kinsella, who plays linebacker and fullback, agreed that homecoming just has a different feel to it.

"It's gone by pretty fast and it's hard to believe it's our last one," Kinsella said. "I think the school does more to pump up the team and it helps get you ready for Friday night."

One thing that always makes homecoming games more fun, is the atmosphere, the excitement and yes, the school spirit. Over the years, Havre High has developed a number of homecoming traditions. Certainly, there are the usual ones that most schools take part in - the homecoming dance or choosing a homecoming king and queen, but there are others, too, such as the beating of an old broken-down car painted Sidney colors or the annual softball tournament.

And last but not least, there is a different theme of dressing for each day of the week. On some level it might seem silly, but it's meant to be fun. It is also supposed to ramp up school spirit, which will be evident when kickoff finally rolls around tonight at 7 inside Blue Pony Stadium.

"We decorate all the halls and get together as a class and build all the floats," Irvin said. "We still do the car, too."

But when asked what the best part about homecoming is, Irvin, who is both a starting cornerback and wide receiver for the Ponies, responded: "The game, that's still the best part. You go through all the preparation and everything all week, so it's fun to put it all out there."

Ophus, who like Irvin is a starting corner, as well as a wide receiver, agreed, but also said the boost in school spirit is a good thing, too.

"The game is definitely the best part about it," Ophus said. "It's really nice just to see more people in the school be social and it's nice to see the freshmen coming out and some of the people that are normally quieter.

"The game is definitely the highlight of the week," Kinsella added. "Everyone joins together and comes to the game and has a good time."

All the events of homecoming week definitely adds to the passion of Friday night football, but at the same time, the players still have a job to do and for the Ponies, it means trying to get their first win of the season, by upsetting 5-0 Sidney.

Seeing as the Eagles are one of the top teams in Class A football, getting a win seems like a tall order for the Ponies (0-5). But if they can pull it off, it would be the perfect ending, to what is always a pretty important week.

"It would mean everything," Irvin said, "especially against a team like Sidney. If we could come out and a get a win on homecoming, senior year, it would mean everything."