Six weeks into the 2024-2025 school year, it’s finally time for the Shenendehowa Football Team’s annual Homecoming Game.
Shen’s team comes into Friday’s game against Albany with four wins in just six games so far this season, and receiver Mason Little said he’s confident Shen will bring home another victory.
“It’s going to be very fun. We’re going to win,” he confidently said about the game. His statement was followed by cheers coming from teammates sitting nearby.
Coach Brian Clawson said he is looking forward to Homecoming because of the spirited environment brought every year by the students watching.
“In terms of students, I feel like Homecoming definitely generates the most amount of people,” he said. “Our players look forward to it every year, especially because the student body and Gang Green Nation really cultivates an environment where they’re passionate about our football team.”
Clawson expanded on that environment, highlighting aspects of the game that he says both the team and the attending students can get excited about.
“For the seniors, we create bleachers in the endzone, so they’re kind of on top of us when we get towards that end zone, so it’s something that’s very exciting,” he said. “After the game, a lot of times the seniors rush the field, kind of greet our football team after a win, so that’s really cool for us.”
Shen senior Brooke Lucia Kauh said the senior section Clawson mentioned is one of the best parts of the Homecoming experience.
“I’m really excited because I’m looking forward to painting my entire body green and standing in the senior section,” she said about the upcoming game.
Clawson reflected on the team’s hard work to improve their record, and he said their plan is to dominate at Homecoming.
“Football is a unique sport in the sense that we only play once a week, so you really got to maintain your focus and try to get at least one percent better every day,” Clawson said. “I feel like our players have been focused and are looking forward to Homecoming.”
This year’s game has generated a lot of excitement among Shen students, but senior Alex Fairbank said that it’s an especially bittersweet moment for himself and his fellow seniors, as it’s their last Homecoming game.
“It’s my senior year, and I’m just really excited to participate in everything that’s going on for one last time,” he said.