On August 27, 2021 at 7:30PM, the bleachers of Newman Stadium welcomed back the North Allegheny student section. After a year of social distancing and limited tickets, the student section was finally bustling with the roars and chants of the enthusiastic students. 

To the average student, football games are just a fun social event, but to North Allegheny’s six student section leaders, Friday nights are filled with stress, fun, and lots of planning. The six leaders are Abbey Hahn, Nick Vieira, Luke Washabaugh, Brady Quatman, Maggie Bridges and Matt Miller, and the planning of tailgates and coordination of chants all falls on them.

“At times it can be very stressful, but I think getting the chance to represent the NA student section and North Allegheny as a whole is something I look forward to,” Miller stated. 

Going into senior year, most students who have long enjoyed Friday night football games want to be chosen as a student section leader. They want to be the one holding Skully, a symbolic plastic skeleton representing our student section. 

As Hahn took Skully home after the game, she explained her mom’s stress and the importance of keeping the beloved plastic skull safe. 

“My mom would argue that the most important thing is keeping Skully safe. She is convinced that somebody from an opposing school is going to break into my car to steal him, so she makes me hide him in the trunk,” she said. 

Part of being a leader involves going to most of the NA sporting events. North Allegheny’s football games might be the most popular, but student section leaders are obligated to attend as many games as they can. Being a leader involves commitment and the love for sports. 

Vieira explained how excited he is to attend other sporting events as well.

“I am most excited for basketball games, although I am looking forward to being able to attend as many sporting events as I can,” Vieira said. “I think attending sporting events other than football is important because it is important to distribute the love.”

Friday night football games by far get the most fans, but our North Allegheny leaders are working hard to try to get students out to as many games as they can. Quatman describes how he feels about his favorite sports to watch at NA. 

“Football games are for sure my favorite, but girls soccer games get heated too so that’ll also be fun,” he said. “I’m really just looking forward to getting people to come to as many games as possible and cheering on my boys at football games,” Quatman stated.

Additionally, a big part of being a student section leader involves planning North Allegheny’s traditional tailgates before each home game. The North Allegheny seniors come decked out and ready to get pumped up before the game. Usually tailgates include fun activities such as themed pictures, spikeball, cornhole, and loud music.

“There is a lot of effort that goes into planning. The first tailgate was super successful and we hope to continue more just like it,” said Bridges. 

North Allegheny’s six student section leaders are working hard this year for another successful year of tailgates, gameday chants, and, of course, keeping Skully safe.