If you’ve happened to even graze your TikTok or Instagram feed lately, you will likely see the acronym “fnl”, which stands for “Friday night lights”, in correlation with the bright lights spotlighting high school football games across the country each fall Friday night. What occurred last in Freehold Township on Friday, however, was probably the best example of what ‘fnl’ means at FTHS; the annual Homecoming football game. 

This year, the Patriots’ Homecoming Game involved playing against the Manalapan Braves with the hopes of adding another win to their 5-2 streak that has already guaranteed them a spot in the playoffs. Given it was one of the last guaranteed games of the season, the passion among the team and their fans was definitely 

heightened throughout the night. This was certainly proven as the Patriots ran onto the field, accompanied by a runway made of cheerleaders shaking their pom-poms as the FTHS Marching Band’s enormous sound rang through the stadium. Though this opening is tradition, the excitement and togetherness of it all was a great exemplification of why Homecoming is such a huge aspect of the school year for the FTHS community.

Another aspect of that contributed to the feeling of unity within the game was that most of the population, whether they were a student, athlete, teacher, or even a parent, was wearing pink that night in correspondence with the game’s “Pink-Out” theme. This was done to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness, given October is actually considered Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Through this, FTHS has found a way to not only bring a sense of fellowship to Homecoming, but to also acknowledge Breast Cancer and the many ways that people can contribute to this significant cause.

Once the game actually began, Patty the Patriot, the school’s mascot, made an appearance in order to amp up the crowd as the football team worked their hardest to keep the ball away from the Braves and into the endzone. By leading the bleacher creatures through chants and throwing free school merch into the stands, Patty definitely did his job.

Soon enough, halftime approached; which meant that it was finally time to crown the 2024 FTHS Homecoming King and Queen. The court, which had been announced at the Pep Rally that afternoon, escorted themselves on golf carts onto the track in front of the bleachers for all to see. The Court included eleven seniors, each voted for by their class: Nick Cardone, Jackson Klein, Grant Feldman, Daniel Schmidt, Samuel Fung, Abi Milano, Sydney Friedenberg, Chloe Walters, Kaia To,

Mackenzie Miller, and Valentina Collabelli. You could hear a pin drop as the winners’ names were announced, though that was soon interrupted by the roar of the crowd once Nick and Valentina, aka the King and Queen, were crowned. However, that wasn’t all halftime had to offer; before the ceremony, both the cheer team and marching band put on great performances that got the spectators out of their seats. The cheer team’s routine, for instance, involved several stunts and dance moves as popular party songs blasted from the speakers. Speaking of blasting tunes, the marching band’s put on a great halftime show, which highlighted the hits of the famous metal band Metallica. While very contrasting, both shows were a wonderful addition to the Homecoming game experience.

Although the Pats fought hard, the FTHS football team sadly lost the game to Manalapan. However, even though we didn’t win, all the festivities that occurred both before and in the duration of the game, such as the Homecoming dance, pep rally, and tailgate made this year’s Homecoming one of the riveting events of the year and, once again, a perfect example of the definition of the enthusiasm of “Friday Night Lights”. Yet, the school year is just getting started; who knows what else is in store?