Friday Night Lights

What's up, sports fans.

Abby (third back on the left) and the Midland Varsity Pom Team.

With the school year back in full swing, our week-to-week routines have returned to normalcy. A big part of our Fall every year is coming out for Midland High's 'Home' games, where Abby and the rest of the pom team performs. We're going on our third year of spending every Friday night (well, every Friday night there's a Home game - fortunately we don't have to drive all over the state to other schools for this) lounging on bleachers and watching a bunch of teenage boys play grab-ass with a ball for a few hours. When Abby was on JV her Freshman year, she got to perform at the opening show, then did a little routine every time the Chemics scored a touchdown. Since making Varsity last year, however, she's still been doing those two things and performing at Halftime as well (afterwards Kris and I bow out, seeing how we've got zero interest in football - or sports at all, for that matter.)

So this evening marked our first outing at a Midland High Chemics football game; we'll be hitting up probably four or five more over the course of the next two months. Fortunately the weather was decent, we had our trusty bleacher seats (the padded, fold-up kind with armrests and a comfy back - total game-changer), and we were with the Tribe, so it turned out to be a pretty awesome night.

Check out the videos and pics below, folks - enjoy. . .

Kris and I rolled in around 5:30pm and took up shop nearby where Family Video used to be (pretty sure it's another dollar store now - society can never have too many of those), joining up with our usual tailgating crew (comprised of the Johnsons, Griffins, Keyes, and Colliers.) We hung out with them for about a half an hour or so pre-gaming and chowing down on some pizza for a bit before heading into the stadium for the pre-game show.

My parents had driven down to watch Abby perform this evening, and Kris and I touched base with them for a bit before joining our friends at the start of the game. While we were visiting with them, Abby and the Pom Team marched into the stadium . . . 

Yanked this pic off the MHS Pom Team's Instagram account (they always get better pics at these things since they've got better access to the girls.) Abby is third from the left here (it's hard to spot her sometimes when all the kids are wearing sunglasses with matching uniforms and hairstyles.)

The pre-game show with the band (I mistakenly thought one of these girls here was Abby, but she's actually off-screen to the right. . . but she's doing what every other girl here is doing so you get the jist.)

Abby, in the middle here behind the drum major.

Erik, having a blast.

As the game started up, it was evident that the other team was just a pile of hot garbage, and Midland High repeatedly scored on them. As a result, Abby the her fellow pommers had plenty of opportunities to perform the MHS Fight Song following every Chemic touchdown.

This is a shorter, easier routine for the kids, they could probably do this one in their sleep.

Later, following yet another touchdown, the girls pulled the drum majors into the kick line.

This poor bastard had to run this giant MHS flag down the entirety of the field and back following each Chemic touchdown (as tradition dictates.) Tonight it was raining, however, so that flag was waterlogged like a son of a bitch - had to have weighed a ton, the dude was clearly straining keeping it up.

At the end of the first half of the game, the band and pom team took the field to perform for the Halftime show (and the girls huddled up for their pre-routine hype session (or whatever the hell you call that.)

These halftime routines aren't nearly as complicated as their Competition Season routines, and they clearly don't have the floor space to spread out (seeing how they're hemmed in all sides by the frickin' marching band.)

After Halftime, us and our friends decided to bolt and rallied at a nearby bar that opened up a year or so ago, Nord Social, for a drink or two.

While we were there, the game wrapped up and the high schoolers - as always - took the field to take a crap-load of pics with their friends (like this one, with Abby, Ella and Harper recreating their old middle school favorite. . . again.)

I found a cup of tampons in the mens bathroom (believe it or not) and brought one back to the table at one point to prove that such a thing actually exists in a mens bathroom. At some point it ended up in Lonnie's cocktail.

Abby and some of her teammates.

Abby and whoever the hell this is.

With some other chick (I don't know half of her friends' names anymore.)

(I think this is Kennedy.)

More teammate pics.

Abby, Logan, Kennedy, and Kennedy's boyfriend.

She stayed taking pics on the field with people for awhile before finally heading home, right around the time Kris and I were wrapping up with our friends at Nord Social (which, truth be told, is not my favorite joint - it's plain and boring and the drink selection was kinda lame, I wouldn't be down with going back.)

A pic of their menu, for your viewing pleasure. . . in case you're ever in the area and want to know what to avoid.

- Brian

Hoco '25, Pt. I

Hey kids.

Lexi painting Alayna's legs for the big game.

Tonight kicked off Homecoming Weekend '25, which is one of the highlights of the school year. . . for our girls. For us parents? Not nearly as much. Sure, it's fun supporting your kids and helping them prepare for one of the biggest weekends of the year, but it costs a small fortune and sucks up just about every, waking moment of the weekend (not to mention the previous weekends that are eaten up by dress-shopping out of town.)

So both girls had dates this year (their respective boyfriends, who we're both fans of), and friend groups that they had to balance their time between. Alayna got ready at home for the most part, but had her hair done by our friend Danielle (for a couple hours) in the early afternoon. Abby started the getting ready process at home, but after a couple hours was driven over to Juliana's house, where her and all her friends were meeting up for a pre-pictures session of hair and make-up. 

Abby puts on the finishing touches at school before the game. 

I can't even begin to express how grateful I was that someone else volunteered to host this shebang - that ain't my cup of tea.

Eventually, both our kids and their respective parties convened on Midland's Dow Gardens (of course), and both demanded I photograph them and their groups with my SLR. Now, as you'll remember from last year, we are by no means the only people who have the bright idea of taking pictures at this place prior to the dance - the whole f***ing town practically shows up for it. 

Crowds aside, I was going to be hard-pressed squeezing two, full groups of kids into photo sessions simultaneously whilst navigating optimal photo ops amidst hundreds (if not thousands) of other students and parents. Fortunately, Alayna's group showed up about 45 minutes before Abby's did, so I was able to shoot her group first before pivoting and redoing all of the exact, same photo ops with Abby's group.

Alayna and Sebastian, awaiting the start of the Homecoming Parade.

That was a stroke of luck, for sure.

Anyway, all that went down on Saturday, which I'll cover in the next post. This time around, we're covering Friday evening, which centered around the Midland Varsity Football Game (against some team from Traverse City, I forget.) Abby had to stay after school in order to practice with her pom team and take part in some kinda team dinner (which is one of their 'bonding' things they do every home game, I guess), but Alayna had a couple friends over after school to get themselves ready for the game (see the pic of Lexi painting Alayna's legs, above.) 

By the time I got home around 5pm, I only had like 15 minutes at home before Kris rushed me out the door - just enough time to mix up a drink in my Flaskapp contraption and grab my bleacher seat. As more and more folks began to descend to the area(s) surrounding the field for tailgating, we had to leave stupid early in order to find decent parking (always a nightmare on big game nights like this.) After parking across the street at some optometrist's office (our go-to, which is super close, just across Eastlawn), we met up with a few other couples from the Tribe, who had established tailgating headquarters in preparation for the 6pm Homecoming Parade.

So, without further adieu, here's the kick-off to Hoco Weekend '25. Enjoy. . .

The Homecoming Parade begins, turning off Eastlawn onto Washington (from my vantage point across the street from the football field, in front of the old Family Video, where I was having a couple beers with Erik, Tom, Brandon, and some others.)

MHS Varsity Pom was right at the front of the parade, as usual.

Alayna and Sebastian were seated outside the student parking lot, so got a glimpse of Abby (kind of in the middle, farthest from the camera) before they turned onto Washington.

Back of Abby's head, towards the middle of the pack.

Kris was across the street from me, hanging out with Alicia, Susan, Lacy and Stephanie, under some canopy tent they had set up right outside the side entrance to the stadium. So this was her angle (Abby's in there somewhere.)

Not a huge parade by any means. Outside of the varsity Pom team accompanying the MHS Marching Band, they had a few pickup trucks carrying each grade's designated Homecoming representatives, King, and Queen, then the drama club, and then this MHS Cavalry detachment. At least I assume that's what it is, but I didn't see any sabers (probably can't have brandish swords anymore - thanks, Columbine.)

Once the parade had passed, Kris and I jumped into the line to get into the stadium while our friends continued to tailgate. We make it a point to get in so we're in the stands before Kick Off in order to catch the Pom team's opening routine, so our tailgating is pretty minimal. We found some good seats pretty easily, right above the 40-yard line, and shortly after we sat down the Pom team marched around the track and took up their positions.

Kris grabs a selfie (I didn't have time to change out of my work shirt - go Hawks!)

The band takes the field for the opening number (the school Fight Song.)

Abby and her squad assumes their positions.

GO SPORTSBALL.

As the game started, Abby and her teammates took their usual positions along the fence separating the stands from the track surrounding the field. As usual, there was lots of selfie-taking, like this one of her with Brooklyn and Nica.

Kris, Alicia and Mees got a selfie with the Larsons shortly before Halftime, who had volunteered to work the Concessions Stand this evening.

The Band and Pom Team perform at this year's Homecoming Halftime Show. . .

Another mom selfie on the sidelines.

Aaaaand a couple more back in the stands. Kris enjoys her selfies a great deal.

After the game (which Midland again lost - nice job, fellas), Abby got some kinda weird nail pic with one of her coaches (not sure what this was all about.)

An obligatory Sister pic.

Some of Alayna's friends were passing by as Kris was taking these, and three of them - Rita, Cristina, and Toby (the third is hard to spot but you'll see it eventually) photo bombed 'em.

Amelia, the Cannonball, Lexi and Kyle

Emily and Abby

Kids love these post-game pics on the field for some reason. I feel like we get dozens of pics like this after every game.

Abby and her weird-ass Mom (who always wears her custom MHS chucks for these games.)

After the game, our kids took off with their respective friend groups, and Kris and I rendezvoused with some of the Tribe over at the Holty residence for a few drinks around their gas fire pit (which was pretty awesome - no smoke to speak of and so your clothes didn't end up smelling like crap.)

The first chapter of this year's Homecoming saga was thus concluded. Stay tuned for the far-more hectic sequel in the next post. . .

- to be Continued. . .