On September 20th, Emerson Junior Senior High School had its very special Senior Night that honored every strong role model that the seniors are. Every senior involved in football, band, and cheerleading has waited their entire four years of high school for this special night.
The game was long awaited by Cavos as this would be the only time Friday Night Lights were hosted at the Emerson field. The morale on campus flourished as fans filled the bleachers while kickoff was approaching. The stands consisted of supportive parents, friends, family, and Emerson students.
Senior Nate Leuck, who is in charge of the Cavo student section, was asked what his favorite part about Friday’s game was, to which he said, “My favorite memory from the student section was that even though at one point we were down 41-0, we were all still chanting and having a good time rather than stopping because of the score.”
Post-game, seniors involved in all three activities were asked about their experience on Senior Night. Field Captain Ronny Yun said, “When it comes to being honored at Senior Night, the truth is that it felt very weird. After seeing so many other seniors be honored these past years, I would have never expected that the day would come when I would be the one honored, and that everyone else would watch me.”
On the other hand, cheer senior Yaneira Rijo said, “It feels great to be honored at Senior Night. It felt great to know how much our team appreciates us. I loved and [still] love participating [in] Emerson Cheer. If I could do it for the rest of my life, I definitely would.”
To add on, sophomore football player Keenan Mathews explained his opinions on the Emerson/Cresskill merge, and the fact Emerson only has one home game to honor Cavos on Senior Night. “I don’t like how there was only one home game. Having the home crowd is very important and makes the game more exciting. Also, there’s not much representation of Emerson,” Mathews said.
Last but certainly not least, Emerson’s only senior on the football team, Jonathan Mathews said, “It felt good to be honored on Senior Night with being surrounded by my team and family, and also being able to play on the Emerson turf one last time. I just wish the outcome was a little bit better though.”
Undoubtedly, the merger with Cresskill has been difficult for people in all activities regarding Friday Night Lights. However, Cavos can all agree that coming together once more on Emerson turf to honor the seniors was an unforgettable experience.
