What’s recently happened?
On August 25, an estimated 7,000 people gathered on Penn High School’s Everwise Freed Field to watch one of the biggest football rivalries in the Michiana area: the Backyard Brawl.
Penn and Mishawaka High School are within a couple miles of each other, and both teams were ranked Top Ten in the state in their class. The Penn Kingsmen hosted the Mishwaka Cavemen. This was the first time the teams have met since 2019.
Both sides of the field were packed with fans, and both student sections were full. Every Friday night football game has a certain theme and the students will all dress the same. Penn students wore black for a black-out theme, and Mishawaka students wore white for a white-out theme.
The atmosphere was electric and everyone was ready for the Backyard Brawl. The student section was packed, and everyone standing throughout most of the game made it hard to find a spot.
Before the game, there was a tailgate cookout for fans with hot dogs and burgers. Many families and students gathered for the tailgate and were there early to claim their seats. Families paid $7 for tickets, and students had the opportunity to pay beforehand for less.
Students who had sports passes were able to avoid the long lines and quickly enter the stadium. As people continued to enter and fill the bleachers, they felt the atmosphere being created. The anticipation for the game grew as the students sang their chants and danced to the cheers.
“On Friday night, it was more than just watching football; it was being with your friends and experiencing the high school football experience. That specific night was a huge game. It was crazy, 7,000 people, I’ve never seen that happen before. In the student section, it was constant screaming, yelling and chaos,” Penn Boys Soccer Defender Andrew Neely said.
Throughout the game, students and families had the opportunity to purchase snacks at the concessions stand or relax in the bleachers. The Penn Marching KIngsmen performed at half-time.
In the end, the final score was 28-7 for the home team. Penn’s football team won the 2023 Backyard Brawl. The team hopes to continue winning as it gets closer to the middle of the season.
What’s coming up?
Penn Boys Soccer is taking on the Marian High School Knights. This crosstown rivalry will be taking place on Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. at Penn’s Lionshead Specialty Tire and Wheel Field.
There has been a long history of intense games between these two schools. What makes it more intense is that, since there are many students who know each other from both high schools, there is a lot of friendly competition that goes on before and after the games.
A large crowd is expected from both schools. Penn and Marian are eagerly awaiting this match because it is not only a physical challenge but a mental and social challenge as well. Last year, both sides met at Marian, where they played under the lights in a hard-fought game. Marian took home the win with a final score of 2-1.
This year Penn will be hoping to defeat its crosstown rival at its home field, but the team knows that the game will not be an easy one. Penn will be playing at its home field, and that will give the team a slight advantage, but Marian is still expected to bring a large crowd and a good team. Penn is preparing for the big game.
Penn Boys Soccer Junior Center Back Christopher Miller is one of the team's leaders and is preparing physically and mentally for the game.
“Looking at our upcoming match against Marian, I’m looking forward to the rivalry. Penn and Marian have history, and I love being a part of it. Everyone plays 110%, and the student section hypes the players up to make them play even better. The game will be hard, but we can easily beat them with one thing: teamwork. Teamwork is the main thing a soccer team needs to succeed. With this, we can take down any opponent,” Miller said.
The Marian Knights are coming into the game with a 4-1 record, and the Penn Kingsmen are entering into the game with a 2-2-1 record. It will be an interesting contest, and many people will be present because of the history between these two schools.
Staff spotlight:
Andrew Warner teaches Forensic Science at Penn High School. Warner is a husband and father of two. He works for Cressy & Everett Real Estate as a realtor.
He also has a YouTube channel that rates board games. Warner enjoys playing the Nintendo Switch in his free time as well as traveling and hiking.
He loves teaching students, mainly high schoolers because of where they are in their life.
“I am a teacher at heart. From teaching a board game at home to genetic conditions in the classroom, I aim for lightbulb moments. As an educator, I aim to create a high quality year of content for my students so that they themselves may become greater versions of themselves by the end of their stay in my class,” Warner said.
Warner studied at Michigan State University and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Interdepartmental Biological Sciences. While he was on campus, he was part of the Campus Crusade for Christ Ministries.
Warner relies on God when times get hard. Some days are not the best days, but he is still able and manages to love his students and teach them well because of his relationship with God. Warner is a top tier teacher, leader, and father.
He is using his talents and working hard to help students find out who they want to be in this life. That is true and sincere leadership, and a great example of a follower of Christ.
Student spotlight:
Leonardo Santiago is a junior wrestler at Penn High School. He grew up playing baseball and wrestling. When he first arrived at Penn, he chose to stop playing baseball so that he could invest more of his time in wrestling.
He began wrestling at Penn as a freshman. At the end of his sophomore year, Santiago tore his meniscus at wrestling practice. This was a big blow for him mentally and spiritually, as he was disappointed that he would not be able to finish his sophomore year.
“It didn't really shock me at first until I had to get surgery. Throughout the recovery, it was an emotional rollercoaster,” Santiago said.
Santiago’s success in school was not affected; he remained strong in his studies despite not being able to join his buddies at wrestling practices. Santiago relied on God throughout his recovery journey; this was a roadblock in Santiago’s journey, and he would not be able to rely on his own strength alone.
After six long months of daily physical therapy and exercise, Santiago was ready to go and joined back with his friends at practices. Unfortunately, Santiago hurt the same knee again.
Santiago is faced with another challenge that will make him stronger if he remains close to God and attentive in school.
“I remain close to God by reading my Bible and staying connected to friends who also love God. I don’t know entirely if this has brought me closer to Him yet, but it definitely allows me to rely on Him more,” Santiago said.
He has the Joy in him and the Hope that he will overcome this rough moment in his long road of life.
“God has blessed me with the ability to be alive and make an impact on others,” Santiago said.