There’s more to game day than just the game

PALMER-WASILLA — Tailgating behind the school. Players’ mothers hanging up banners. Hot dogs. Game film. Ankle tape. Face paint. Bright lights. Cheerleaders. The band.

There’s a lot that goes into a football game, and most of it doesn’t take place on the field…

2 p.m.

Palmer High School

In hand-holding pairs and chatty groups, the students of Palmer High School pour out of the school’s front doors and into the cool Autumn sunshine. Some head toward a line of buses while others — mostly upperclassmen old enough to drive — walk happily toward cars or trucks or vans.

It’s Friday, it’s sunny, and everyone seems to be in pretty good spirits.

Some students are obviously part of tonight’s action. Football players are easy to spot. They’re the ones proudly wearing the bright, shiny game jerseys. Most are juniors and seniors, but some — younger “swing” players brought up for tonight’s playoff game — are just a couple hours from their first varsity football game. Cheerleaders also stand out, already decked out in their uniforms, ribbons in hair.

Many of those not actively participating in the 7 p.m. game are showing support by wearing T-shirts or hats or hoodies emblazoned with the Palmer mascot, an intimidating bull moose.

A few teachers are monitoring the controlled chaos, and almost all are wearing the school’s blue colors.

In the front office, administrators and teachers trade lighthearted banter with each other. Periodically, a student stops by for a question or quick phone call home. Talk centers around weekend plans and —what else? — the game. It’s clear pretty much everyone plans on going.

3 p.m.

Palmer Fred Meyer

parking lot

The windows of Alicia Clement’s car are covered with blue and white slogans urging on the Moose football team. It’s an hour after school, and the junior cheerleader’s vehicle is one of at least two in the grocery store parking lot sporting a spirited paint job. Back at the high school, there were dozens more.

The idea is for the student body to get behind the team as much as possible.

“It’s to show spirit, support our team, all that jazz,” Clement says.

And it’s not just cheerleaders who decorate their rigs.

“A lot of just random people do it, football players, and just people who support the school.”

School spirit at Palmer is high these days, she says.

“You don’t just do it for football. People do it for skiing, cross country running…”

Clement’s car was decorated last week, too. In fact, she admits the paint has actually been on her car for a couple weeks.

“I’ve had it like this since homecoming.”

Had the paint rubbed off, however, she would have just have re-painted anyway. After all, tonight’s game is as important as they come.

“I think everybody really wants to beat them since we lost by one point last time.”

What happened last time…

One week ago, in the final game of the regular season, cross-Valley rivals Palmer and Wasilla met for the 29th Potato Bowl, an annual clash for bragging rights between the Mat-Su Valley’s oldest football programs.

In that game, the Warriors from Wasilla defeated the Moose by the narrowest of margins, pulling out a dramatic, come-from-behind 36-35 win in front of the home fans.

The victory secured a playoff berth for the Warriors and assured that the two schools — located just 11 miles apart in the heat of the Valley— would meet again tonight in the first round of the Alaska state football playoffs.

A rematch.

3:30 p.m.

Outside the stadium gates

Come game time, dozens of red-lettered signs and banners — thanking sponsors, wishing the players good luck, etc. — will drape the entrance to Wasilla’s Veterans Memorial Field. Right now, though, just a few are up.

Members of the Wasilla High Football Booster club are working on that.

Booster club member Misty Guenther leads a small group of people hanging several banners on a fence outside the stadium. Basically, the booster club’s job is to help out wherever possible, whether it’s running the snack bar, cooking up pregame meals for the team or raising money for the program.

“We just kind of get together as moms and help out to get our boys through these four years,” Guenther says.

Her son, James Langendorf, is a sophomore running back for the Warriors. But that’s not the only reason she’s out helping get the field ready for the game. She herself is a WHS grad.

“And I’ve been a supporter ever since.”

The booster club has been preparing for tonight’s game since the moment last week’s contest ended, scheduling shifts in the snack bar, making signs, supplying food and generally doing whatever it takes to keep the players and coaches motivated and happy.

2007 has been a successful year for the Warriors. The team finished the regular season with a record of 6-2 overall, placed second in the Railbelt Conference and gave school supporters big-time bragging rights by knocking off key Valley foes Colony and Palmer.

For the booster club, tonight’s game is a last opportunity to show Wasilla’s players and coaches how proud the community is of this year’s season.

“I’m really excited,” Guenther says. “We are so ready for this.”

3:45 p.m.

Inside the stadium gates

A group of teenagers is wrestling with a large collapsible tent. Once unfolded, the tent will cover “The Wired Warrior” a small coffee stand located behind the home bleachers. Four of the kids are members of the school’s music department, another a recent graduate. During the game, they’ll either play with the pep band or work as baristas, handing out hot chocolate and coffee to chilly fans. One, Suzana Polushkin, will join four other Wasilla students in singing the “Star Spangled Banner” before the game.

And one, Brandon Grimmett, claims his role is more karma than coffee.

During the second half of last week’s game — with the Moose holding a comfortable two-touchdown lead — a couple Palmer fans invaded Wasilla’s turf by boldly waving a big blue and white Palmer flag in front of the Wasilla stands.

Later, with the Warriors on the verge of a comeback, Grimmett and a friend decided to return the favor.

“It was 29 to 35, and at the last minute, we were like, ‘lets’s do what they were doing.’”

So the two Wasilla students picked up a Warrior flag and marched defiantly toward the Palmer crowd. Seconds later, Wasilla running back Chris Crane scored his fifth touchdown of the game, and the subsequent extra point pulled Wasilla ahead for good.

“I like to think it was because of us that we got the last winning point,” Grimmett says with a wry smile.

Tonight, he plans to wave a Wasilla flag from the beginning of the game. Does he think it will it work?

“I hope so.”

The Wasilla band is well-known for its fanatical school spirit, something band director Henry Pennington says reflects the community’s support for high school activities. Many band members have jobs in town, but Pennington says employers are very understanding when it comes to band commitments like tonight’s game.

“It always seems they manage to allow our kids the time off.”

More than 50 members strong, the band will be in charge of keeping the crowd entertained, playing the school fight song and ushering the team onto the field with an ominous drum beat during the team’s ceremonial “Warrior Walk” into the stadium.

For tonight’s game, the band is especially pumped up.

“They’re very excited,” Pennington says. “When you get a school like Palmer coming over, cross-Valley kids coming here, oh, it’s always good.”

4:45 p.m.

Palmer High School

Palmer players are loitering outside the training room, waiting to get ankles or wrists or shoulders taped by one of the team’s two volunteer trainers. Some are talking or laughing quietly, others listening to headphones and trying not to think too much about the upcoming game.

Palmer trainer Brian Larson quickly tapes the wrists of Thorton DePriest. The tall, lanky senior listens to an iPod as Dr. Larson works. He only speaks once.

“A little tighter.”

Larson obliges with a couple more wraps of athletic tape, and DePriest hops off the table, bobbing his head as he leaves the small room.

Head coach Rod Christensen is standing just outside, looking thoroughly unconcerned as he paces among the players in his customary blue jeans. He’s not wearing any shoes, just a pair of white cotton socks.

After 17 seasons at the helm of the Moose program, the laid-back coach has learned not to take the games — even big ones — too seriously.

“I try not to get too stressed,” he says. “I’ve been doing this a long time.”

The team spent all week preparing for tonight’s rematch. The coach knows that, after countless hours of film study and practice, there isn’t much that can be done to control tonight’s outcome.

“You try not to think, ‘Well, what if we didn’t prepare for that, or we didn’t get time to cover that very well,’” he explains. “There’s just too much.”

Once the planning and practice are over, all that can be done is play the game and let the chips fall where they may.

“You might as well just decide you’re as ready as you can be.”

In the slow hours before the game, Christensen likes to make sure his players are rested and focused on the task at hand.

“You’ve got to make sure they’re relaxed but not too relaxed.”

It’s an approach that’s worked well for the longtime Moose head man. Palmer won a state title in 1995 under Christensen, and the team has made the playoffs in eight consecutive years. With the planning now over, the coach says all he can do is get ready for whatever might happen tonight on the field.

“I just try to prepare mentally for whatever can happen. It’s a high school football game, so anything can happen — as we found out last week.”

6:30 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Field parking lot

Wasilla seniors Geoff Brewer, Jordan Elkins, Dane Wilson, Jordan Haddeland, Sam Gittlein and Jesse Hugli, along with 2007 graduates Jack Nelson and Micah Weinstein, are hanging out around a pick-up truck. They’re huddled around a small grill set up in the bed of the truck, waiting for hot dogs and hamburgers to cook.

They’re tailgating.

Brewer says the group did the same thing last week for the first meeting of the two teams.

“We just started doing it last game,” he says. “It’s good luck.”

With game time approaching, the tailgaters make predictions on the outcome of the game. All think Wasilla will win again, but nobody is expecting a blowout.

“I think it’s gonna be close,” Brewer says.

With the game still a half-hour away, however, there’s still plenty of time to polish off another hot dog or two. Brewer says the tailgating crew has plenty of food — but hasn’t had to fend off any freeloaders looking for a free pregame meal.

“We’re pretty intimidating,” he says.

6:45 p.m.

Inside the main gates

A long line of spectators is streaming through the gates. The sun is nearly down now, and most fans are dressed for cold weather. Steam is starting to show up on people’s breath. Most are wearing their favorite school’s colors, and many of the students in the group have painted faces or chests in various shades and combinations of red, white or blue.

Wasilla junior Jon Coyne has taken the extra step of dying his beard — normally a bushy blonde — bright red. Coyne thinks the look is an ideal way to show his school colors.

“I just thought it would be awesome,” he says.

Coyne is hoping for a similar outcome to last week’s thriller, when the Warriors stunned everyone with an improbable comeback.

“It was amazing,” Coyne remembers. “I totally freaked out.”

6:59 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Field

The coin toss is over. Warm-ups are done. The field is bathed in bright artificial light. Players and coaches pace anxiously up and down each sideline as the stadium announcer finishes up with introductions.

Game officials have taken their spots around the field, and one jogs in place near the Moose sideline as he waits for the opening kickoff.

“Don’t wanna get too cold out here,” he says.

The players line up — Palmer in its kick-off formation, Wasilla ready to receive.

Paul Cossette, Wasilla’s athletic director/public address announcer, comes over the loudspeakers.

“Are you ready?” Cossette yells.

The crowd roars in acknowledgment as Cossette sets up the action.

“The winner moves on. For the loser, it’s season’s over. Are you ready?” he asks again, this time even louder.

The crowd rises to its feet.

“Well fans, without further ado, let’s play Warrior football! Set to kick off for the Moose, number 48, Will Ott. Back deep for the Warriors, number 12, Joe Barkley and 22 Mike Chafin…”

A whistle blows. The wait is over.

Kickoff.

Contact Frontiersman sports reporter Matt Tunseth at matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.