The EHS tradition of a football orange and black scrimmage has been swapped out this year for a scrimmage against Triad, leaving some players and students with mixed feelings.

The excitement from the EHS student section can be electric, especially when they are playing another team.

“I feel that the energy was good if not better,” junior quarterback Yale Weaver said. “Playing against another team rather than yourselves can generate a better atmosphere.”

Starting off the season with excitement from a supporting crowd can bring great energy, which may have been considerably less enthusiastic if they scrimmaged their own team.

“In years past if you cheered it would only be for certain players,” junior linebacker Jeremiah Watters said. “When there’s another team, you can cheer for all of the Edwardsville players on the field.”

A positive and encouraging start has not been the sole purpose of the orange and black scrimmage, however. For over a decade the scrimmage has been a day for the Little Tigers football team to get involved on the big field.

“I will miss having a day where we could see all the age groups play on one field on one day,” senior lineman Gunnar Schag said.

Schag has played football for many years. He feels it will be a loss to say goodbye to the part of the tradition that involves young tiger players. However, there may be plans to reinvolve younger generations of tigers in the future, even without the orange and black, according to Schag.

While some players have expressed negative sides to losing a tradition, others have appreciated the strategic advantage.

“We haven’t played Triad ever, even though they are just down the road,” Weaver said. “The opportunity may be a good chance for us to play a team we have little experience with.”

Watters says the the scrimmage will have a more competitive spirit with a great turnout from the community because they never play Triad.

“The substitute of having something that’s an equivalent of a preseason game is very helpful to our Varsity team,” Schag said.

The EHS teams will not be playing Triad this season at all, according to junior running back and first year player, Craig Kielty.

“I liked the idea of being able to go against a team we wouldn’t see this season otherwise,” Kielty said.

Playing another team before the season begins could be a great advantage for EHS.

“It’s always exciting to play another team, and it was a great experience to see another team before week 1,” Watters said.

Weaver describes the tradition as one he has always loved and something that he and his team have always looked forward to.

“Since this is my first season, I’m very excited to be in that atmosphere with the players next to me and the crowd behind me,” Kielty said.

For players spending their first season with the team missing out on a tradition may feel like a loss, but for others, any upper hand is seen as a good thing for the team.

“I just want to perform on Friday night no matter who I’m against,” Weaver said