Dons shine on the field, Royals radiate on the sideline at Friday Night Lights
By Iris Heckes
On Sept. 18 at 7:00 p.m., crosstown rivals, the Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) Dons and the San Marcos High School (SMHS) Royals, battled at the Warkentin Stadium. While both teams and schools brought energy and spirit, it was the Dons who ultimately brought home the win.
The game kicked off with the Dons defending. But touchdowns from the left, right, and center gave the SBHS Dons an early lead of 27 to 0 in the first quarter. At halftime, the score remained 27 to 0, but early in the third quarter, the Royals made an interception and battled their way to put up a three on the scoreboard. The final score was Dons 48 to Royals 3; the Dons were in pure bliss as they celebrated their win.
Star players included “Griffin Arnold, Keegan Roessler, and Henry Crafton,” said Dons' offensive line coach Chase Kamin (‘20). Dons football captain Henry Crafton (‘28) said, “All around we played pretty good. Our offense was moving the ball and looked like a team.” Crafton also noted, “Last week I think the team really clicked.”
While the Dons dominated on the field, the Royals brought all the spirit. At halftime, the “queens of the sidelines” cheer team performed, followed by the marching band and guard, which wowed the crowd with their rhythms. Not only that, but the Royal student section came fully animated. Royal leadership chose “Royal Rampage” as the student section theme and encouraged students to dress in the school colors: red and blue. The students had well-organized chants, red tassels, encouraging posters, and flame sparklers.
Josie Morris (‘27) said, “The San Marcos student section is the hypest in town. The spirit really says so much about our school community, how much we care for each other and love to be here.”
Across the field, SBHS rallied a large student section and audience, but not mighty enough to out-cheer the Royals. The theme of the week for the Dons was “Despicable Dons,” prompting students to dress up in accordance with Despicable Me. The Dons’ student section was all yellow, but still couldn’t match the home-field spirit of the red and blue Royals.
There were strict policies in place at the game, such as clear bags only and student ID checks at the ticket entrance. No crossing from side to side was allowed.
The Dons may have won the big match, but it was the Royals who brought the spirit to this crosstown rivalry game.
