Pink flooded the stands as the McLean Varsity Football team set out to play the Herndon Hornets in their homecoming game. A rousing performance by McLean’s cheerleading team, dance team and award-winning marching band welcomed the feisty Highlander team to the field.
“We [were] hyped up,” junior safety Owen Smart said. “The energy [was] loud, and all of us [were] fired up.”
Historically, Herndon has been a powerhouse of the district, defeating the Highlanders twice in the 2023 season despite McLean’s historically good roster. This year’s game was no different.
“We know what we have to keep doing at practice,” Smart said. “All we can ask for is to leave everything on the field every game that we play.”
The Highlanders kicked off to start and were able to stall out the Herndon offense. However, unable to do much more, the Highlander offense punted away the ball. The same back and forth action continued until Herndon found the endzone and converted a two-point conversion, making the score 8-0.
Much of the rest of the game was similar, with the Hornets putting up another touchdown in the second quarter and one more in the third with a two-point conversion making the score 23-0. The morale was now low in the crowd, and the Highlanders were desperate for anything that would raise their spirits.
Luckily, the seniors countered the lack of energy in the crowd, continuously chanting and waving the McLean flag. Another boost of morale came with the halftime performances by the Highlander dance team, accompanied by a local youth dance camp, and McLean’s marching band. Despite the numbers on the scoreboard, the crowd was smiling as the 2024 homecoming king and queen were announced.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much the Highlanders could do, and their offense was stifled by the Hornets’s defense time in and time out. With Mclean unable to score, and the Hornets boasting yet another touchdown in the fourth quarter, the game ended with a final score of 30-0.
“It was disappointing to lose on homecoming, but the guys left it all on the field,” junior kicker Arsen Hakobyan said. “I am proud of how we fought.”
The Highlanders are set to face off against the undefeated Washington-Liberty Generals on Oct. 25 at Washington-Liberty High School. This game will be one of McLean’s toughest tests of the season.
“WnL is a juggernaut,” quarterback coach Ky Parrot said. “This really means a lot to our seniors, so we’re going to go out and compete the best that we can.”
