Throughout FHC, there has been much discussion surrounding how much the Ranger football team is both respected and glorified. Some have said they think the football team is a diligent team that is a nice addition to FHC, while others may believe that the football team is drastically overfunded, overvalued, and often overshadows other teams that work equally difficulty. It’s easy to see where both sides of this argument are coming from. The idea that the team is a great addition to the community is easy to see because it is true. The football team is tireless and really does bring a great sense of FHC pride to the school. Some even say that despite their success, they are an underrated team. Ellie McDowell, a drum major in the FHC marching band, agrees and says, “I think the team brings the community together and it gives everyone something to bond over and cheer for.I think they are undervalued; they do so much and we don’t necessarily recognize how much work they put into their season.”

Ellie is backed by sophomore Rowan Szpieg who says, “I think the football team gives our community something to look forward to. I think football is underappreciated in the sense that everybody acknowledges the games, but nobody really thinks about all the training and practice effort they put in.”

Sophomore Alexander Dixon, a member of the Ranger football team, says how he believes the team is rightfully acknowledged and why. “I mean football is probably the most popular sport in high school, and many students attend the games. I feel like football isn’t over or underappreciated,” Dixon says. “Football is our country’s sport, so it makes sense that it would be highly valued. At the same time, it is also not a worldwide sport like soccer, so not many people would even know about it. We also had a very strong team that would work hard at practice.”

Sophomore Joel Ford agrees with Dixon and says, “The football team adds to FHC by helping in the parade and doing fundraisers. I think football is appreciated well where it’s at. I’m not exactly sure how much funding the football team gets, but I know they rebuilt the stadium, so it must be a lot. I think it could stay where it’s at or get more because it’s the most popular sport in our school.”

The football team not only adds to the school spirit at FHC but also encourages many students to attend sporting events. But, much of the beloved student section only attend football games and no other sports. Ellie McDowell comments on this saying, “I think the students should show up for other sports too. The student section is important to helping the teams do better, and not having them there affects how the teams play. I think the student section leaders should try to get more of a turnout for other sports.”

From the perspective of a football player, the idea seems very similar to that of a non-football player. “The student fans are a great addition to any sports game. Every sport should have a big fan base, but most sports don’t. We, as a whole school, should have more people go to these games,” Dixon says. “The student section leaders are great. Even when we are down by a lot, they still help our fans get hyped for big plays. However, maybe they should work a little harder. In the game against Mona Shores, I barely heard the student section down on the field throughout the whole game.”

It’s obvious to see that most of the students at FHC believe that the Ranger football team is a good addition to the school and that the games are a great time, but many sports are severely discredited. It is appreciated by members of teams that rarely get recognition to have any sort of student turnout, so if your schedule is ever free, try to make it out to a sporting event, and support your fellow Rangers!