Friday Night Lights

Written by Haley Oliver, Luke Jenkins, and Isaac Kent|October 19, 2022

The Woodgrove Football team is halfway through their season, and they’re hungry for more. Some of the Senior Captains share insight on the season and The Wild. 

Jaden Boring remembers his best moment:“I had a diving catch against Heritage and the entire Wild erupted. I could feel it from the field.” Alec Hughes also mentions the importance of The Wild: “I love playing in front of The Wild and our fans because it’s a reminder of who we’re playing for and that our town has our backs.”  

The Wild themed dressed in the USA out cheering on the football team. Photo provided by Brandy Payne.

The Woodgrove student section, “The Wild”, rocks a different theme for every game. Students wear tutus, glitter, and paint, dressing head to toe in the theme. One of the favorite themes is “blackout.” It’s Woodgrove’s tradition to dress in all black for the homecoming game. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, therefore The Wild dedicates a game to pink out. When the weather starts to get colder, The Wild leaders try to accommodate. The next theme, at 

the end of October, will be winter sports; usually students dress in snowboarding or skiing attire. A newer theme is country out; students dress in flannels and jeans. Lastly, for Senior night against Valley, our rival, the theme is wild/neon!

Woodgrove has started off strong; they hold five wins and two losses, with a recent win against Potomac Falls (35-14).Their toughest competition in the near future includes: Stone Bridge, Potomac Falls, Independence, and Loudoun Valley. The Woodgrove Senior athletes exhibit tremendous leadership skills. 

The Wolverine football huddled in excitement! Photo provided by Luke Jenkins.

Coach Derek Barlow states, “This senior class were all freshmen when the Covid-19 lockdowns occurred. As a result they had to be creative in regards to their workouts but were also receptive and responsive to constantly communicating with me through 2020-2021. As a result, this senior class developed social and communication skills that I feel would not have been developed if it weren’t for the awful COVID environment they had to endure. I also feel that this type of behavior has a positive effect within the framework of the entire team,” states Coach Derek Barlow.