There’s a very special feeling that moves a person to participate proudly in school activities.  It is called pride.

Pride from the players that take the field, pride from the fans watching in the stands and pride from the parents who are watching their sons practice pay off.  Being a fan was especially incredible with the tiger prowl, where the student body could paint their faces and march to the field.

The field was lit up before the game, which started at 7 p.m. against Rock Island.  As the September 2 game approached, senior James Fulton was preparing himself for his first varsity start as a wide receiver.

It was amazing to see all the fans and realize how important football is to this city, Fulton said.

The Tigers started strong, with seven points in the first quarter, as well as a punt return touchdown and extra point halfway through the second quarter.  Rock Island was able to answer and put up their own 14 points to tie the game at halftime.  The tigers left the locker room confident in their abilities.

“We just did some chalk talk and changed our game plans on offense and defense to run plays that were going to be successful,” senior linebacker Andrew Holderer said.  “I am always confident that our team can do what we came to do, which is win.”

When they came back, they came back strong.  By the end of the third quarter, the tigers were up 28-20.

“We practice really hard and do a lot of conditioning so we are able to outwork teams late in the game,” Fulton said.

Their training showed as the Tigers outscored Rock Island 20-7 in the fourth quarter and came out with a 48-27 win.

“It felt great to step out onto the field again and represent our school in my jersey,” Holderer said.  “It made it even more special that it was my first [home] game of senior year.”