August 26^th marked the day the day that every Steelman fan knows and loves. It was the first game of the football season, and it just so happened to be on a Friday. The stands were filled with Central students, athletes, families and friends to cheer on the Varsity Steelman. For every Friday home game, fans are asked to dress according to the theme. The theme for the night was “White Out”, where fans were asked to dress in as much white as possible. Fans came decked out in white shirts, paint, and bandanas and came prepared for an intense game.

The Joliet Central Marching Band performed the National Anthem and the game was off to a great start with the kick-off. Central spirit cheers filled the stadium, and the cheerleaders amped the crowd up. Right from the start, the action and aggression was intense. In the first quarter, the Steelman were able to hold the Plainfield East Bangles down, getting down after down, and tackle after tackle. The defensive line was aggressive and protected their end with all they had. By the end of the first quarter, the score of 0-0 gave the Steelman hope. With the infamous reputation of Varsity not winning one game in six years, every fan, athlete, parent and friend hoped that this was our chance to beat a team that had a similar record to ours.

Going into the second quarter, the Steelman fell flat causing the Bangles to score a touchdown, making the new score 0-6. At the kick of the ball, Plainfield East’s kicker missed the field goal, sending cheers and hope throughout the stands. In the third quarter, the score remained 0-6, with the Steelman successfully keeping the Bangles out of their territory. Just when the fans and Steelman were starting to get anxious, Plainfield East illegally made a false start, sending the Bangles back five yards. Passes started to be incomplete, players become tired, but at the end of the fourth quarter, the Steelman stayed strong and phenomenal job at keeping the final score of 0-6. While the offensive line failed to score a touchdown, the defensive line made up for what was a great first game of the season.