Friday Night Football :)

Jordan and I after last year's homecoming game
(The one game I didn't cheer for because
I was on homecoming court)

I love football. It is by far my favorite sport to watch, play, and cheer for. In high school, I was a cheerleader my sophomore, junior, and senior year, and honestly, it was one of my favorite parts of the entire high school experience. Don't worry though, I'm not the stereotypical blonde, ditzy, peppy-all-the-time cheerleading type. I'm a pretty laid back person and not much of a girly girl. Actually, when I told my friends I was trying out for the squad, they all laughed at me. No one thought that I fit into the whole skirt-wearing, chant-yelling group. They figured I would fit better into the actual football team than the cheering squad. (I actually contemplated playing football in junior high, but after my brothers told me they would disown me if I did, I decided against it.) I had always wanted to be a football cheerleader. Since I was in six-years-old, I have only missed one Turkey Valley (my high school, go Trojans!) football game, and I loved yelling along with the cheerleaders and always dreamed of being one someday. To me, being on the cheerleading squad was my way of being on the team. We got to hang out with the football players, ride the football bus, and got a front row view of all the games. When I made the squad, two senior cheerleaders took me under their wing and taught me everything I needed to know. Soon, I was a jumping, yelling, stunting cheerleading machine! Fridays during fall were the highlight of my high school career. Each week I would wake up with those Friday night light chills  and butterflies and count down the hours until the game! During my junior year, those butterflies multiplied when I started dating Jordan, our sophomore star running back. Watching him play was incredible, and we fit into the high school movie cliche of the cheerleader dating the football player perfectly. During my senior year, Jordan racked up 1,500 yards rushing and was named to the all-state team as a running back. I couldn't have been more proud. Even though I've graduated, I am so happy I can still be a part of my favorite part of high school. I've made it to every game, seen every touchdown, and continue to be Jordan's #1 cheerleader. Although I have to do my cheering from the bleachers now instead of out on the track, I still wake up every Friday morning with those same under-the-lights chills.