Friday night football is about more than what happens on the field. At Woodland, themed games bring students together, add excitement to the stands, and give fans another way to show their school spirit. From neon to Pink Out, the themes help make each game a different experience for the student section.

For Brielle Philbrick, her favorite theme is USA because of how much effort people put into it. “I love how everyone goes all out and it’s such a fun theme,”. However, not every theme is easy to dress for. Philbrick said neon was the hardest for her because she does not own a lot of neon clothing.  Philbrick said. She also believes that having everyone dressed for a theme makes the atmosphere more lively because students come together and have fun. 

Avery Deitelbaum’s favorite theme is War in the Woods, which takes place right before Thanksgiving and supports a good cause. She believes the theme represents Woodland well and also thinks themed games make a big difference in the stands. “Having everyone dressed to the theme brings so much school spirit!” she said. One of the funniest things she has seen was for a Pink Out game where someone wore a pink wig and painted their face completely pink. If she could choose a new theme, Deitelbaum would want a “country versus country club” theme, with upperclassmen competing against underclassmen.

The themes are also noticeable from the field. According to Woodland football player Justin Pringle, “Yes, I do notice when the student section participates in a theme. My fellow teammates and I usually talk about it in some form very briefly prior to the game.” Pringle remembered the neon theme from a recent game and the Pink-Out game from two weeks earlier.

Another player who enjoys the themes is Mason Rotella, whose favorite is Pink Out because it supports a good cause and gives him a chance to wear pink accessories. If he could choose a new theme for Woodland, Rotella said he would like to see a “frat” theme. He also believes themes are important because “it brings good culture and it’s a good tradition.” Rotella said neon is one of the hardest themes to dress for because “not a lot of people have neon clothes and always have to go buy something before the game.” Like Pringle, Rotella notices when the student section participates, and his favorite themed game to remember was the Pink Put because it was “a really fun game.” Rotella also said the funniest thing he has seen was someone with their face painted pink and wearing a wig.

With students and players both getting involved, football themes have become an important part of Woodland game nights. Whether students are wearing pink, dressing in neon, or going all out for USA, the themes give everyone another reason to show their school spirit. They help bring the student section and players together and make Friday night games more memorable.