Friday night lights illuminate the field, tickets are sold out, and the bleachers are packed. Fans cheer from the sidelines, supporting the football players and making them feel like they’re standing on a rock-solid foundation. But what maintains that foundation off the field?

Brotherhood is the driving force behind these young men, both on and off the field. Deep in this brotherhood, they find support of an indestructible family. 

“It’s like a big family, everybody from different moms and dads, but you wouldn’t really even notice with how we treat each other,” junior Dominic Saidu said.

With each practice and game, the players forge connections that go beyond friendship.

“We go by brotherhood so it’s like we’re closer than actual family, like blood,” junior Mari Dennis said.

Coaches instill the concept of brotherhood in players from the moment they join the team. This philosophy not only grounds the team on a solid foundation, but also impacts each player’s life in a way that will linger with them forever. 

“They instill brotherhood, determination, hard work, and how to be a man,” junior Donyae Williams said.

The kinship, hospitality on the team is immediately introduced and perceived by even new players.  For many, the football team has given them new opportunities that players didn’t have at their previous schools.

“Here, I could build more,” Saidu said. “We’ve got a good foundation to build on.”

The team’s composition changes year after year, with graduating seniors moving on, players relocating, and new members joining. However, these changes have given space for new stories and achievements.

“We got a good thing going on for us right now, and I feel like we’re going to keep it going,” Williams said. “We just gotta stay strong.”