Friday night football is the closest thing many towns have to a weekly civic holiday. The lights come on, the band warms up, the concession stand starts selling popcorn, and for a couple of hours everyone in the stands is on the same schedule. If you have never been to a Somerset High School game — or never been to a high school game anywhere — the ritual can look a little closed off from the outside. It is not. Here is what to expect, what to bring, and how to enjoy your first Friday.
Admission to a regular-season high school football game is one of the best entertainment values in town. Prices are set by the school, so they vary from year to year, and playoff games are usually priced by the state athletic association rather than the local athletic department. Expect a modest adult ticket, a smaller student ticket, and often a discount for seniors and young children. Many schools now sell tickets online in advance; others still run a cash gate, and a growing number take cards. Check the athletic department's page or the school's social media before you drive over, and bring a little cash in case the card reader is slow or the line is long.
Gates usually open about an hour before kickoff, and most varsity games start around 7 p.m., though some schools kick off at 7:30. Arriving 30 to 40 minutes early gets you through the line, into the lot, and into a seat before the national anthem. It also gives you time to work out which side of the stadium is which — something that is not always obvious from the parking lot.
One caution: if a freshman or junior varsity game is scheduled earlier in the evening, the varsity start can slide. Do not assume kickoff is exact.
The lot closest to the stadium fills fast and empties slowly. A few habits make the difference:
Keep an eye out for kids in the lot after the final whistle. A stadium on a Friday night is full of people who are not looking where they are going.
High school bleachers are split between the home side and the visitor side, and your ticket usually covers one or the other. If you are there to cheer for Somerset, ask at the gate which side is home.
Two practical points. Aluminum bleachers get cold and hard, so a stadium cushion or a folded blanket earns its keep by the second quarter. And the best view is not always in the middle: seats near the 50-yard line are often reserved for season-ticket holders or boosters, while the rows behind the band and the student section are loud and crowded. That is a lot of fun if it is what you came for, and a poor choice if you would rather hear yourself think.
If stairs are difficult or you use a wheelchair, call the athletic office before game day. Most stadiums have accessible seating and a drop-off point near the gate, but it helps to know exactly where before you arrive with a car full of people. A light jacket matters more than you would guess — once the sun drops and the wind crosses the field, even a mild evening turns cool.
A short list covers almost every first visit:
Leave the air horn at home. Most schools prohibit noisemakers, and alcohol, tobacco and vape products are not allowed on school grounds. Pets generally are not either, apart from documented service animals.
Every program has its own, and they are the reason people keep coming back long after their own kids have graduated. The marching band plays from the stands and takes the field at halftime. The student section picks a theme for the night — a white-out, a black-out, something sillier. Volunteers run the chain crew on the sideline. The booster club sells raffle tickets and hot chocolate. Seniors are honored on a designated night, and homecoming brings a court, a ceremony and a lot of photos.
After the final whistle, the two teams line up to shake hands, and the band often plays the alma mater while people drift toward the exits. Ask the person next to you what Somerset does that other schools do not. Regulars love explaining this, and you will learn more in five minutes than from any schedule.
You do not need to understand football to have a good time, but a handful of rules make the action easier to follow. High school quarters are typically 12 minutes under national rules, and the clock stops on incomplete passes and when a player goes out of bounds late in each half. That is why a game that sounds like it should take 90 minutes usually runs about two and a half hours.
Scoring is simple once you have seen it a few times:
When the referee signals a first down and the chain crew jogs up the sideline, everyone around you will get loud. Now you will know why.
Check the schedule and ticket options online before you leave the house. Bring cash, a cushion and a jacket. Arrive 40 minutes early, ask which side is home, and sit where you can see. Stay for the band if you can — the walk out of the stadium after a win is one of the better parts of the week.
And if you are new to town, a Friday game is one of the fastest ways to meet people. Say hello to the folks beside you, buy something from the booster club, and come back next week.
Photo: KeithJJ / Pixabay
From permits and insurance to potluck sign-ups and the final sweep, a practical checklist for organizing a...
Somerset's small plaques, boundary stones and flood marks remember the people and trades the grand monuments ignore....
Somerset's stricter recycling rules change what goes in which bin, when it's collected, and how to avoid a rejected...
Local news and stories from Somerset.
