Friday, October 10th, the Windsor Locks Raiders football team took on the School of Medical and Science Academy Tigers at home in Suffield. The game was a hard-fought battle for each team’s first win of the season. Once a year, Suffield hosts a home game in order to represent and celebrate the players who come from Suffield High School as part of the Windsor Locks, East Granby, and Suffield co-op football team. It’s a tradition that means a lot to the school, the athletes, and the community as a whole.
Mrs. Muska, Suffield High School’s athletic director, played a major role in the preparation for this annual event. Every step of the way, Muska led the charge to ensure everything ran smoothly. The very first step in the process was utilizing the school’s facilities calendar to secure the field.
“Before fall practices started here, we put all the games on the calendar, so we reserved the spot. We put on all the practices and reserve the spot so the turf is reserved and no one can get on.”
Scheduling is just the very beginning of a long and detailed process that takes time, planning, coordination, and dedication.
The annual game has become an important part of Suffield’s student body experience. SHS senior, Connor Mandirola, has been in attendance for this event all four years of high school. He attends because, “I like to go out and support my friends and those around me,” which seems to be a common theme among students. The student section was filled to the brim on Friday night, packed with everyone from freshmen to seniors, all there for one reason: to cheer on and support their peers on the field.
Many of Suffield’s fans were joined by students from Windsor Locks and East Granby High Schools. Though they’re from different towns, everyone came together wearing black for the blackout game, a powerful show of unity and school pride. In that moment, students were not divided by schools or rivalries, they were united by teamwork on the field and a shared pride in something bigger than one individual person.
