The sun is setting across the field, the air is so cold everyone should be shivering, but they’re standing so close together on the bleachers that everyone is somehow staying warm. A sea of black and orange always cheering, no matter what’s happening on the field.  

This is the student section at an EHS home football game.  

For half of the current student body, football games like this are almost a distant memory, but for the other half of students this atmosphere is something that they have never gotten to experience.  

Normally, the experience of a home game would only be new for ninth graders, but because of a different season and restrictions for last year’s football season, the current 10th graders haven’t gone to an EHS home football game as a student either.  

The annual Orange and Black scrimmage happened last Friday, Aug. 20, unofficially starting the football season, some ninth graders attended to get a feel for future football games.

“I really enjoyed hanging out and having lots of laughs with my friends,” ninth grader Owen Lunsford said, “it is a great spot to hang out even if you aren’t big on football.”

Other ninth graders didn’t attend the scrimmage, but still have hopes going into their first football game.  

Unlike ninth graders, 10th graders have been in the high school environment for a year now, giving them more access to stories about previous football games and more expectations.

10th grader Maggie Pifer said she likes the energy and spirit at games for other sports, so she hopes that the same energy is there for football that she sees in other EHS sporting events.  

“It’s always nice to socialize and cheer on our team.  I really like the school spirit at games!” she said.  

Ninth grader Landon Coleman hopes for a lot of cheering and excitement at games.  “[I want] good energy and a lot of hype,” he said.  

The student section will officially be back next week, Sept. 10th, at the first home game against Champaign Central High School.