Students covered the stands in black as supporters poured into the stadium to watch the Etowah Eagles face off against their biggest rivals, the Woodstock Wolverines. Even the announcers were muffled amidst the crowd’s cheering and screaming. Suddenly, one by one, the lights around the stadium flashed and went out. The field was dark and nothing could be seen but the stars and the flashlights that beamed from the back of phones. Etowah’s “total blackout” theme had taken effect. 

“It was a very electric night until the lights cut out, but when they came back on it was even better,” David Minter, sophomore, said. 

The first quarter had begun, and the game unfolded like normal. Halfway through the first quarter, Etowah’s Braden Bohannon scored a touchdown, giving them a 7 point lead. Just a few minutes passed before the game took an unforeseen turn; the power shut off, “blacking out” the stadium. The players exited the field as the crowd roared in excitement, embracing the event as a part of their theme. The game finally resumed ten minutes later as the lights slowly lit up the field again. While the power outage was merely accidental, many find that it made the biggest game of the season the most memorable.  

“Even though it was an accident, the power outage was so cool because it went with our theme. It made the game very fun and very exciting because we all got really hyped,” Savannah Pullen, sophomore, said. 

Once the game resumed, the rest of the night continued as planned. At halftime, both teams rallied together to hand out a check to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, which consisted of the money students and teachers had raised throughout the week. As the third quarter began, Etowah kicker, Carson Allen, gained another three points for the team before Woodstock scored a touchdown, bringing the score to 10-7. Etowah’s Elijah Washington brought the final standing at halftime to 17-7 after winning another touchdown. 

“[We we’re excited to play because] we grew up with these people (Woodstock students,) and the bragging rights from winning this game are huge,” Carson Allen, junior, said.

Before the game, the cheerleaders and football players took to the field for their senior night, while halftime was reserved for the band members. The announcers called up each graduating student, accompanied by their family, and acknowledged them for their participation at Etowah. Once halftime concluded, Woodstock was able to score one last touchdown in the fourth quarter, ending the game with an Etowah lead of 17-14 and rewarding the varsity football team with their first win of the season. 

“I think the Woodstock game was so important for us seniors because not only was it Senior Night, but it was our last chance to beat Woodstock which is always the biggest game of the year,” Libby Reach, senior, said. 

Pitted against their rivals and being the last home game of the season, Etowah was determined to earn their first win, and though there were many ups and downs and unforeseen incidents, they proved Etowah runs Towne Lake. The varsity team needs just one more win to make it to the playoffs, so make sure to come support them at their next game on Friday, Nov. 5 against the Alpharetta Raiders.