Friday night football games are tradition in Moab. Hundreds of people attend: Each is there for a different reason.
Some are there to cheer on their kid, some to socialize, and some to encourage their boyfriend. Then there are those who are simply there for the love of the game. All these different reasons make for a very exciting atmosphere and one that can be experienced by everyone.
If you have never been to a Moab Devils’ football game and have no idea what to do, here are some basics to help.
Most definitely, wear the team colors: Red and White. If you want to go all out then paint your face, wear devil horns, or even dye your hair.
For Anthony Shepardson, a high school senior and avid football game attendee, all he needs is a red t-shirt and he is ready to go.
Cassie Lema, also a high school senior, wears “something red, but still stylish.”
Once you have the perfect outfit to support the team, you may want to think about food.
You can bring your own. There are no food restrictions. However, you can support high school programs by visiting the concession stand, which has drinks, candy and even Red Devil pads to sit on.
You will appreciate the Red Devil pad. The hard metal bleachers tend to get uncomfortable after about an hour. If the pad isn’t enough, be sure to bring blankets, too.
Don’t forget to grab five dollars for your ticket. Grand County High School students can buy an activity card for fifty dollars. The activity card will get a student into any Grand County High School sports game for the year.
The game is different every single time, so the audience reacts differently in return. There are no set traditions or rules of attending that you need to follow, besides the basic: cheer when appropriate.
If you are looking for a quieter experience, go to the top of the bleachers. If you love the excitement of banging drums and blowing horns, go to the right side of the bleachers and sit with the band.
Now that you are situated, you can start watching the game and soak up the atmosphere and excitement. If you don’t know much about the game of football, don’t feel out of place. A good number of audience members have little idea of what’s going on, they are there to support the team.
There are just a few things you need to know about when to cheer. If someone from our team tackles the opposite player who has the ball, cheer. If someone from our team either catches the ball or hits it down when it was thrown by the opposite team, cheer. When someone on our team scores a touchdown: Cheer even louder.
Understanding these three basics, you can cheer anytime you want, except when the other team scores a touchdown.
Scream for the running back to score a touchdown. Yell for the quarterback to throw the ball. Clap for the defense to tackle the other player. Anytime you cheer, most likely at least ten other people will cheer with you.
Be sure to pay attention to the cheer leaders as well as the game.
They might say something like, “Our devils are what?”
You would return with, “Dynamite!”
If you don’t get it the first time, just follow along with everyone else. The cheers are usually easy to catch onto.
Most importantly, when you attend a football game, whether it’s screaming at the top of your lungs, or a quiet clap, you should always cheer.
“Go Red Devils,” can boost the team to win the game.
“My favorite part about the audience is hearing them yell and support us. It really pumps me up,” said David Bentley, guard and defense on the Red Devil football team.
