Friday Night Lights 2011

With son #2 set to graduate next May, this will be the last Pleasant Grove football season we get to enjoy as the parents of a member of the band. If you'd told me six years ago that it would be this much fun, I probably would have laughed in your face. But it's been great, although watching a winner is always fun.

Considering that PG only opened its doors in the Fall of 2005 (with just two classes), the rise of the football team to prominence in the area is pretty amazing. Consider the last five seasons:

2007 - 9-1 regular season, one victory in the playoffs

2008 - 8-2 regular season, three victories in the playoffs, lost section championship final

2009 - 7-3 regular season, two victories in the playoffs

2010 - 9-1 regular season, four victories in the playoffs, won section championship (Division I)

2011 - 9-1 regular season, top seed in Division I playoffs

This season, the Eagles have won games by the score of 77-7, 63-14, 58-7, 48-10, and 63-3. Right now it appears that the only thing that could stop them would be injuries; they've lost a lot of good players this year.

This picture was taken from the field during halftime of the game against Folsom, when the parents of the senior band members were introduced to the crowd. A fun night, and the best game of the year - a 48-34 win over our biggest rival (and a team that won a state championship just a year ago).

Go Eagles!

Eagles Stomp the Herd

Pleasant Grove 24, Elk Grove 10. As their signs said, they may have been here first...but now they're worst. As in the worst high school football team in Elk Grove. Just a few short years ago, such a statement wouldn't have seemed possible. But times change, and high school football is no exception.

This shot is of "the flock," and they need to work on their game - and they could start by actually watching the game.

Go Eagles!

The mass of teen humanity at last night's game between the Pleasant Grove Eagles and the Laguna Creek Cardinals, won handily by PG 48-7. At any given moment, I estimate that about 25% of the student body is actually watching the game.

The football atmosphere in Elk Grove has completely shifted in the last 4 years. Elk Grove High, a long-time Sacramento area power, may now only be the sixth-best team in the Elk Grove area. But one of the only blemishes on Pleasant Grove's season last year was a non-league loss to Elk Grove, in a game that even Elk Grove fans seemed to agree was marred by some incredibly bad officiating that was remarkably one-sided against PGHS.

If that weren't enough reason to get the Eagles fired up for next week's game, a group of the Thundering Herd student body spent the entire playoff season (which their team didn't make) attending Pleasant Grove's games, and rooting against them. Such behavior must go avenged. It's evident after three weeks that Elk Grove won't be visiting the post-season this year, so I'm hoping that the Eagles run up 60 against them next week. Sure, it's a rivalry game, but I'm hopeful.