By Meilan Solly
Hundreds of Tuscarora students and families gathered by the football field after school last Friday, September 6^th, to participate in a tailgate leading up to the first home football game of the season.
Beginning at 4:00 p.m., members of the Husky community arrived at the free tailgate clad in blue, the official game color as stated by Tusky Terror leaders. Once there, students met up with friends and got ready for the game by participating in activities ranging from a magic show featuring junior Ryan Phillips to face painting and other games. Free food and drinks were also provided.
By 6:30 p.m., the action had begun to move from the tailgate to the field, where the Tuscarora varsity football team was set to face Woodgrove at 7:00 p.m. At the end of the night, the Huskies had defeated Woodgrove 21-14, bringing both the first home game of the season and the tailgate to a successful end.
Rachel Dodson, a sophomore, said her favorite part of the tailgate was “being able to socialize with people and cheer for the game at the same time.” While she enjoyed the tailgate, Dodson hopes that next year it will include some free t-shirts.
This year’s tailgate was part of a tradition begun in 2010, the year Tuscarora opened. Although earlier tailgates were held during the last few days of summer, the 2012 and 2013 tailgates have been held after the school year began.
Another difference is the number of tailgate attendees. Dodson observed, “It seemed like more people showed up” in comparison to last year. This fact is linked to the increasing number of students enrolled at Tuscarora, which is up to 1,908 from 1,746 in the 2012-2013 school year.
While the tailgate has seen some changes since year one, the basic idea remains the same: Everyone in the Tuscarora community comes together to enjoy food and games while kicking off the football season and welcoming in a new school year.