A showcase of incredible team-play backed by a resounding sense of support from the sideline made the 2024 homecoming game one to remember. Usually the Panthers struggle to win the homecoming game; but this time, things were different. The Panthers faced the Klein Cain Hurricanes and surprised the critics, the fans and themselves with an exhilarating victory, 33-32.
“Knowing we were going to be playing Cain was different,” senior kicker Luke Gibson said. “We had a feeling we could win but it was going to be tough.”
For its entirety, the game was a constant back-and-forth battle between the two teams causing the crowd, but especially the players, to feel the pressure.
“We could really feel the energy shifting throughout the game,” junior Robert Asay said. “Being defense, my job requires a ton of focus even in tense situations.”
This can especially be said for freshman running back Micah Rhodes, who other players deemed the unofficial Game MVP.
“Being a freshman on varsity adds a whole other level of pressure,” Rhodes said. “I have never played a game so wild and unpredictable.”
As the game was reaching its conclusion, the crowd started to get fired up on all cylinders.
“From the beginning of the game to the end, the energy was just incredible,” junior and varsity cheerleader Ayden Abetz said. “There were so many students there, many of who [had never been], which added to the experience.”
This year is Abetz’s first on varsity and she said that being on the sideline for such an exciting game made Friday Night Lights so much more enjoyable.
“Cheer is a lot more fun on varsity because we’re in front of the student section,” Abetz said. “For this game, and all games, you can directly feel their excitement.”
With this insanity and flurry of emotions from the crowd, standleaders have to step up to control the chaos and lead the crowd from the stands.
“My job as standleader is to keep the energy of the crowd up,” senior Zoee Johnson said. “This is easy when the team is winning or it’s an important game like HOCO, but harder if we’re losing.”
The players said they could feel the hype and admiration from the student section during the game and they admit to feeding off of the vibe.
“Feeling the crowd’s energy honestly helped me play better,” junior defensive back Calvin Molegraaf said. “It did put pressure on, but a lot of people perform under pressure.”
The might of the Panthers made it a nail-biter with Oak being down by only six late in the 4th quarter; however, they still planned to succeed in their final drive.
“I had full confidence in [quarterback] Jay Osorio and in Micah Rhodes,” Gibson said. “I knew they were going to get the job done.”
After an impressive run, Osorio held the ball and ran in for six, tying the game 32-32. But, the extra point was still to be made.
“I was feeling nothing but confidence going into the kick,” Gibson said about his game-winning kick. “We had some scenarios like this last year so I was feeling good about it.”
The Panther fans held their collective breath in the last seconds of the game as the defense still had to hold the line to secure the win.
“Being on defense during that final drive was tough,” Asay said. “I was just trying to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes because of how crucial the drive was.”
Since Klein Cain was established in 2017, Oak varsity football had yet to beat them, but that losing streak is over.
“After one of the most intense games of my time on varsity, draining Cain was like a dream come true,” Asay said.
