Football season is right around the corner, and the Westlock Thunderbirds will once again start their season under the lights.
On Friday, Sept. 2, the Thunderbirds will take on the Vegreville Vortex in a nighttime exhibition game during the fifth annual rendition of Friday Night Lights at the field near Westlock Elementary School.
“This is our biggest crowd-drawer. We get between 1,000 and 1,300 fans,” said Thunderbirds fundraising coordinator Jerry Buchko.
The squad normally plays its first regular season game as the Friday Night Lights game, however coach Jon Kramer said the team decided to mix it up this year and use it as an exhibition game.
“It worked out well, Vegreville is a good opponent for us and they come in with the right attitude,” Kramer said.
“We’re just excited to have our biggest game at home and just to give that gift to all the players early on in the season.”
Kramer said the exhibition game will allow him to give every player a chance to make it into the game, which will be their only one under the lights all year.
“It will be a good chance to get everybody in and play on the field in Week 1,” Kramer said.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m., although football fans are encouraged to stop by from 5 p.m. on for pregame festivities.
Buchko said there’s activities for the whole family including bouncy castles for the kids, a doughnut truck and a concession stand, which will be run by the parents.
“It’s great family atmosphere and the football game is free,” Buchko said, noting the bouncy castle costs $1.
While the game is being held on the Friday of the Labour Day long weekend, Buchko said organizers are hopeful residents will stick around for the game before taking off for the last weekend of the summer.
“We’re hoping people will come to the game and go camping Saturday,” he said.
With spring training long in the books and many new players on the team, Kramer said the team will use the exhibition game to get players some playing time.
“We’ve got so many new-to-football players and graduated so many veterans so we really do have a lot to work on in these two weeks,” he said.
“I think we’ll be ready to go for the exhibition game.”
Ultimately Kramer said the team is hopeful to have a strong season.
“Every year we get a little bit better at what we’re doing. We’ve got eight coaches on staff this year and that’s huge for us,” Kramer said. “This year is mostly a lot of excitement and then the sky is the limit … we do think we’re going to win a lot of games this year, again.”
