On any given Friday night during the fall, millions of people
across the country practice a religion so sacred that it unites
entire communities, hours at a time for one common purpose.
To watch the boys play.
This uniquely American experience that we call Friday night high
school football is among the most attended sporting events anywhere
in the country, from the hard-core fans in the Texas plains to the
diverse demographic that is Northern California.
Whether you’re there to support your own kids, or just enjoy the
game for what it is, there’s something special about watching it
under the lights with family and friends, losing yourself in the
excitement when the home team scores a touchdown.
Perhaps a reminder of days gone by, the experience of attending
a Friday night game hasn’t changed much since the 1950’s, the era
when lights were first introduced to thousands of high school
fields all over America.
No venue represents a slice of Americana better than Recreation
Park in Healdsburg, where Friday night football games have been a
mainstay since 1949.
On fall nights, the familiar smell of barbequed hot dogs,
hamburgers, and tri-tip, combined with the freshly cut grass of Art
McCaffrey Field can be a smorgasbord for the senses. Fans still
arrive early to cheer on the junior varsity, sing the national
anthem, and stand up for kickoffs.
“It’s small-town America at its best,” said Healdsburg football
announcer and local historian Dick Bugarske, who along with Rick
Hockert has been the voice of the Hounds for most of the past two
decades. “Friday night football brings all parts of our community
together. People reconnect with folks they only see at football
games each year and so many relive their glory days and nights as
they glance at the records of past stars in the football
program.”
In Sonoma County alone, there are no less than a dozen high
school football games being played under the lights on a given
Friday night from September through November.
When light standards were installed at El Molino and Windsor
High Schools in 2002, they represented the last of seven schools in
the Sonoma County League to provide local fans an opportunity to
enjoy football under the lights.
As a result, attendance at both El Molino and Windsor games
increased dramatically, rising from a few hundred that year to an
average of over 1000 today.
“Friday night football has always been a big part of my life,
from when I played in high school until I began coaching,” said
Windsor coach Dustin Davis. “Week in and week out we want the game
to mean something to the community, and winning will do that.”
Along with the game, the crowd never gets tired of hearing the
band fire up during timeouts, watching the cheerleaders perform at
halftime, or the pageantry of the annual Homecoming parade.
It’s a tradition that doesn’t get old.
“We root for the hometown kids, buy lots of food and Greyhound
gear from the HHS Boosters, groan at bad calls, yell with the
cheerleaders, applaud the Homecoming floats, enjoy the traditions
of sportsmanship, and joined celebration in victory and of course,
the shared agony of defeat,” said Bugarske. “Brings a big smile to
my face just thinking about the next game.”
2010 Analy JV/Varsity football schedule
Friday, Sept. 3- Analy @ Miramonte, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 10- Piner @ Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 18- Analy @ Balboa, 11 a.m. / 2p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24- Santa Rosa @ Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1- Analy @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8- Healdsburg @ Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15- Analy @ El Molino (Golden Apple Bowl), 5/7:30
p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22- Casa Grande @ Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29- Analy @ Petaluma, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5- Bye
Friday, Nov. 12- Sonoma @ Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
2010 El Molino JV/Varsity football
schedule
Friday, Sept. 3- El Mo @ Fortuna, 5/7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11- El Mo @ Drake, 11 a.m./ 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17- Elsie Allen @ El Mo, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24- Alhambra @ El Mo, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1- Casa Grande @ El Mo, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8- El Mo @ Petaluma, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15- Analy @ El Molino (Golden Apple Bowl), 5/7:30
p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22- El Mo @ Sonoma, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29- Windsor @ El Mo, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5- El Mo @ Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12- Bye.
2010 Windsor JV/Varsity football schedule
Friday, Sept. 3- Montgomery @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11- Windsor @ Redwood, 11 a.m./2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17- Windsor @ Santa Rosa, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24- Maria Carrillo @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1- Analy @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8- Windsor @ Sonoma, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15- Bye
Friday, Oct. 22- Healdsburg @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29- Windsor @ El Molino, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5- Casa Grande @ Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12- Windsor @ Petaluma, 5/7:30 p.m.
2010 Healdsburg JV/ Varsity football
schedule
Sept. 4 – Piedmont at Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 – Healdsburg at Alhambra (time TBA)
Sept. 18 – Healdsburg at Piner, 10 a.m. /1 p.m.
Sept. 24 – Acalanes at Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 – Petaluma at Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Oct. 8 – Healdsburg at Analy, 5/7:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 – Sonoma at Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 – Healdsburg at Windsor, 5/7:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 – Bye
Nov. 5 – El Molino at Healdsburg, 5/7:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 – Healdsburg at Casa Grande, 5/7:30 p.m.
