The football team opened up their season against Hillard Darby. Regardless of the game being on television, and it being the first home football game, AND it being the first game for new Head Coach Tony Broering, the student section was the biggest story of the game.

“Everything started at the first scrimmage at Franklin when we talked to the team photographer about making heads for the football players,” said senior Leah Bell, of the larger-than-life-size faces of players held up in the stands.

The team may have took a loss in the season opener, but the fans definitely took home the “W.”

“The student section felt more ‘live’ than I’ve seen out of the four years I’ve been here,” said senior defensive lineman Prince Benson.

School spirit was, without a doubt, in full effect.

“It was probably one of the best moments playing football running out there and seeing all those people out there supporting us and our team,” said senior offensive lineman Ryan Roth.

Northmont’s student section has a long-running tradition of having a theme for each home game.

“About a week and a half before the first home game me and Tristian [Broski] went to Caras and Spiller with the idea to have a ‘Purge,’ which was to have a black-out and buy the white mask for everyone to wear as the boys ran out to the ‘purge siren’ remix with a beat played by the band. Both of them liked the idea, but thought it was a little extreme,” said Bell.

The “Purge” idea was based off the popular horror movie series, which features criminal activity in a lawless society.

Because of the implications of the film, administration required students to paint each mask with a green “N,” while the theme could not be referred to as a “Purge.”

“I feel like it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. It was a movie and it’s not real,”said Roth.

Controversy aside, students still managed to be the biggest story.