by Joe Mullen

Playing under the lights at Newman Stadium on a Friday night is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. But what truly goes on behind the scenes in a game week for the North Allegheny football team?

The week starts with a grueling Monday practice.

“Mondays are more mental days,” tight end Sayjan Gupta said.

The intensity does not let up as the week wears on and the game plan begins to take shape.

“We have lots of difficult practices,” Gupta added.

These practices are what help the Tigers build character and establish an identity. While practicing every day can be difficult on the players, this level of focus helps them prepare for Friday night. 

Game days is the ultimate experience.

“When you step on the field your not just playing for yourself. You’re playing for all of North Allegheny,” linebacker and slot receiver Mason Brown said.

One of the most successful athletic programs in the WPIAL, NA football comes with very high expectations from the school and the fans. These expectations are to win every game, especially the ones against rival teams Central Catholic and Pine-Richland — both of whom are perennially strong. But given how hard the NA football program prepares, it’s hard to find another team that will have an easy team matched up against the Tigers.

North Allegheny will host Penn Hills tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the home opener at Newman Stadium. The squad started off the season hot with a statement win against Woodland Hills and a blowout last week against Gateway. The expectation remains the same — win.

And this evening, after a long week of preparation, the Tigers intend to do just that.

by May Eberle

A huge part of the atmosphere on Friday Nights at Newman Stadium comes from the marching band. Whether it’s filling the stadium with their powerful sound after a big play on the field or performing an outstanding routine in the magnificent halftime show, the marching band is always there to get the fans excited. But it isn’t as easy as just showing up to the stadium on Friday nights and performing.

“One thing most people don’t know is that to know the halftime show we first have a two-week camp before school starts,”  junior trombone player Belen Rohde said. “We memorize all the music and where and how we move during the show.” 

Summer rehearsals also apply to the dance team. 

“We learn most of our routines over the summer,” junior Allison Sobehart said. “We practice for over 80 hours over two weeks, learning and perfecting the routines so they are ready for Friday nights.”

In addition to all the hours they put in during the summer, the band practices every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to finalize the show. 

When game day arrives, band members prepare for a full day ahead.

“We start getting ready for games at least two hours before and we usually don’t get home until 10pm or later,” Rohde said.

Leading up to kickoff, the band is especially busy.

“During the hour before the game, our front ensemble pushes their instruments from the band room all the way down into the Bariel Center. Then band members gather their uniforms before warm-ups” senior Drum Major Glenn Weser said. 

The band also spends some of their time doing pre-game customs and traditions with their teammates.

“Most sections have some type of cheer or dance to hype themselves up for the long night. Usually these cheers include their instruments in some way,” Rohde said. 

Weser added, “The saxophones specifically love to scream at the top of their lungs, and the clarinets do a sort of hopscotch.”

The dance team also has their special traditions before every game.

“The whole team goes out to eat together, and we all get ready in the cafeteria at NASH” Sobehart said. “We also never go on the field without doing our DT4L chant!”

For each member of the band, there is something special about a home game, such as tonight’s.

“Our band loves the sounds of our home stadium audience and especially our student section when it is at home capacity,” Weser said. “There is also a sort of chill in the air every time I have performed under our lights that just exhibits a sort of confidence that nowhere else can replicate.”

Rohde said she particularly enjoys the opportunity to hang out under the Newman Stadiun lights with bandmates who have become close friends. explains that.

“We eat candy, and talk about football, or anything really, and we get a free ticket to watch every single football game!” she said.

For Sobehart, Friday night home games are all about the performance.

“My favorite thing about performing at Newman Stadium is getting to do our sideline dances in between plays,” she said. “We stand near the end zone and whenever music plays we have set dances that go to each song.”

This evening at the home opener, the band will be sure to put on a great show and make fans’ time under the Friday Night Lights worthwhile. 

by Kam Yeske

At every Friday night game at Newman Stadium, the NA varsity cheerleaders face the home fans, chanting on the sidelines, doing flips, and throwing each other in the air. They make it look easy and effortless, but what goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the big night?

“It is true that people often underestimate the dedication that we have,” Junior, Morgan Klimchak said. “They don’t see the amount of work we put into our practices.”

Klimchack is eager to go into detail about the squad’s intense preparations for Friday nights.

“We perfect every cheer and dance, practice our performances for the quarters until they are flawless, and spend hours every week working on our tumbling and stunting skills,” she said.

Cheer is practicaly a full-year sport. Tryouts usually occur in April, with pre-tryout practices and open gyms that begin in March. Then all summer long they have practice every week, including mandatory practice and UCA camp. Football season starts in August and run at least until November, right around the same time that the basketball season starts.

But football season requires an especially strong focus.

“Before every game, we typically arrive an hour early” Klimchak said. “We warm up our stunts and tumbling as well as our dances and quarter performances. Then we leave after we sing the alma mater and have a talk with our coaches.”

NASH senior Mallory Kim is the team’s captain this season.

“As a captain, I lead by example,” Kim said. “Instead of bossing everyone around, I motivate the team during each practice and game.”

Beyond the stunts and the tumbles, the cheerleaders are also responsible for making the the poster that the football team runs through before each game. They also interact with the student section on special songs and chants.

Like other sports teams, the cheerleaders have their own traditions.

“A cool tradition we have is called ‘COW,’  which stands for Cheerleader of the Week,” Klimchak said. “It is where the coaches recognize a cheerleader who has gone above and beyond, showing exceptional effort and spirit.”

So tonight when fans hear their chants and see their gravity-defying stunts, they may understand a bit more about the work that it takes behind the scenes to produce the Friday night spectacle.

by Derek Allen

With the Tiger football team coming off big wins versus Woodland Hills and Gateway, tonight’s home opener is bound to get noisy. The stands will be packed full of cheering Tigers fans led by student section leaders Blake Craft, Gabe Fuerest, Keely McMahon-Regan, and Sara Donaldson.

One of the most important parts of any game is the fans. They can help give any team strength to power through a game, and the Tigers have one of the best student sections in the WPIAL.

“The core leadership in the section will become the best in the WPIAL.” Craft said.

Donaldson added, “We will have everyone in line on Friday and it will be well run.”

The format will look the same this evening, with the senior class in the front rows followed in succession by the juniors and then the sophomores, with freshmen leading the back.

Donaldson is keen on etiquette in the student section.

“Our biggest concern is not having the underclassmen acting up,” she said. “We cannot have them throwing water bottles and hitting other students.” 

The routine leading up to kickoff is filled with energy, school spirit, and intense anticipation. The day often starts with themed dress-up at school—whether it’s a “blackout” or “jersey day”—and students proudly wear their school colors to show support. As the final bell rings, plans begin forming with friends to meet up before the game. Some students grab a quick dinner, while others head straight to the stadium to get good spots in the student section.

Many participate in pre-game tailgates, where music, snacks, and laughter fill the air. Spirit leaders or cheer captains may lead the crowd in chants even before the game begins. Face paint, glitter, and posters are all part of the preparation, helping to create a sea of enthusiasm in the stands.

As kickoff nears, the student section comes alive with synchronized chants, drum beats, and anticipation for the team’s entrance. For students, attending the game is more than just watching football—it’s about community, tradition, and school pride. From the pre-game excitement to the final whistle, the entire experience becomes a highlight of student life, capturing what it means to be part of something bigger.

Craft is the leader of the tailgate, which begins at 6pm, in the parking lot. 

“It’s a fun time for all students before the game begins,” he said.

Offensive and defensive lineman Grant Girty said that the student section is a vital part of the game itself.

“If I make a big play and hear the student section chanting, it hypes me and my teammates up.” “When the fans are screaming, it makes the opposing team’s offenses hard to hear cadences and can lead to crucial penalties.” 

With the help of the rowdy student section, fans may well witness another Tigers win tonight. Come out to Newman to see it for yourself!