The roar of the crowd, the vibrant neon colors of the student section, and the cheerleaders’ enthusiastic chants filled the air. The smell of buttery popcorn wafted through the stands as the band played the school song. It was a picture-perfect Homecoming night—a true fairy tale for the Wildcats and their fans.

This Homecoming game was more than just a celebration: the Wildcats needed this win to secure their spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The energy was electric as the cheerleaders formed a tunnel to welcome the football team onto the field. The players, full of excitement, chanted and cheered, while the crowd responded with an overwhelming roar.

Before kickoff, junior Carter Naranjo took a moment for his pregame ritual, sitting silently to collect his thoughts.

“Before each game, after we warm up, I like to pray to God. I pray to stay healthy throughout the game, not just for me but also for my teammates. After praying, I visualize. I try to manifest what’s going to happen in the game so I have no doubt when I’m out on the field,” Naranjo said.

This Homecoming also marked a special anniversary—50 years since West Chicago Community High School’s state football championship. Former state champions were invited back to the school and the game to celebrate the milestone and cheer on the current generation of Wildcats.

“There’s a lot of love and respect from our years—memories of our schoolwork and our championship games,” alumni Henry Antes said. “It’s incredible to watch these young guys follow in our footsteps.”

Junior Matthew Gomez watched from the sidelines as one of his teammates made a massive tackle.

“Brick by brick, our defense was solid, allowing little yardage compared to our offense. To come back from a break and say we’re going to shut them out is an understatement,” Gomez said. “We allowed 211 yards: 135 passing and 76 rushing, compared to our total 478 yards: 78 passing and 400 rushing. Our defense played tough, physical, and smart.”

Naranjo opened the scoring with the first touchdown of the game, giving West Chicago an early lead over Riverside-Brookfield. The Wildcats took control from the start, and the momentum never let up.

Junior Trevor Sweeney could not contain his excitement as senior Robert Lee scored yet another touchdown. Lee ended the game with four touchdowns, continuing his remarkable streak this season.

“When Robby scored, I knew we had won. We kept running the ball, and their defense just didn’t want to try anymore,” Sweeney said. “We shut them down, and the whole team was hyping him up. We knew the game was ours.”

With a final score of 41-10, the Bulldogs were sent home defeated. True to their sportsmanship, the Wildcats shook hands with their opponents and offered words of encouragement—“Good game.”

At the end of the game, the Wildcats huddled up and took a knee to listen to their coach, Adam Chavez, speak. He praised their teamwork and reminded them that it had been three decades since West Chicago made back-to-back playoff appearances.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” junior Isaiah Sylvester said. “But now, it’s time to make everyone proud.”