High School football is no joke in the south. Stands are packed with fans covered head-to-toe in their school colors, proclaiming their pride and spirit. In a district where rivalries run deep within three schools, a football game is the perfect opportunity to gain bragging rights. This past Friday, was another battle to decide the superior school in CFB. High Schools Creekview and Newman Smith faced off in their annual “Battle of North Carrollton.”

But, this was no ordinary night. As the last game of the season, Seniors would be honored during the start of the game. Troyanns, band members, cheerleaders and football players would walk across the field one last time. In a bittersweet moment, Seniors would face applause, and cheers from their peers in the stands. The pressure to show up Creekview was ever-present.

 And just like earlier years, there was no competition. Newman Smith was ready to kill. With a pep-rally consisting of a rapping principle, and matching “Beat Creekview” shirts, the team was hyped for the night. In a school filled with pride, a win is no coincidence. Senior Vice President, Kathy Pham, said “We had high-hopes in beating [Creekview] again.”

And win they did. With a final score of 7-20, Smith finished their seasons as champs. While the rest of the reason proved to be lack some with an overall record of 2-8, Senior Keeana Esmaili was ecstatic nonetheless, “this win was special for us, because the seniors were closing out their high school football experience with a win against one of our biggest rivals.” Loyal to her Alma Mater, Pham was “proud of the boys, and will bleed green and gold ‘til [she’s] dead and cold.”