As football season begins, students supported the Mustangs by wearing red, white, and blue for USA night, the theme of the first home game on Friday, Sep. 6. Friday’s theme, along with others such as gold-out, black-out, and western, are all classic themes at Metea.
“This Friday [was] my third year doing [the USA theme],” junior Mackenzie Olson said. Like Olson, many Metea students frequently dress up for football games like it’s the Fourth of July. Even though fans have done this theme many times, it never seems to get old. USA games tend to bring more attention and more of a crowd.
“A lot of people are able to go full out, and it’s just easier to participate in,” emcee and junior Jenna LaVine said.
The USA theme is not the only one people seem to go all out for. Western is another theme that is easy to wear, according to LaVine.
“Last year and the year before, [western] was just very fun, and I feel like everyone goes full out for that,” she said. This year, Metea fans will be dressing in their cowboy hats and boots on Oct. 18 at Neuqua.
On Aug. 30, some students traveled to Downers Grove South in their brightest neon.
“I like neon the best,” Olson said. “It’s a fun but easy theme to go along with.” Even though Neon is a fan favorite, the stands were emptier than what people hoped they would be. Because the game was so far away, fewer fans came to support the team. “[I like] when [the neon theme] is a home game because more people show up,” Olson said.
Simpler themes are more prevalent this year at away games as students tend to only go to games closer to Metea. Students will dress in all white on Sep. 27 at Carol Sandburg, which is around 40 minutes away from Metea. Away games that are easier for students to get to, such as Western Night at Neuqua, will feature more popular themes.
“I think this year, because so many of the games are far away, we were making the themes more simple, like white-out,” LaVine said.
That caused many fan favorites to be left out. One theme missing from this year’s lineup is the tropical theme. Both Olson and LaVine said they are hoping to see it next year. LaVine is also hoping to see the popular animal print theme.
One of the most important games of the season for Metea will happen on Oct. 11, the Homecoming game. Students will come dressed for the theme blackout with senior royalty.
“The football game I’m most excited for this year is probably our Senior Royalty blackout,” LaVine said. During the senior royalty theme, all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors dress in black. The seniors, however, stand out and “will get to shine their gold accessories,” according to LaVine.
Friday’s popular USA game was a good way to start this year’s football season with lots of energy from the crowd. As fall picks up, students have many themes to look forward to.
