It’s about more than a match
BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
Unity! Excitement! Hope!
Wood River High School Homecoming, which took place this year on Friday, September 24, now holds a special place in the heart of the community. It’s fuel for the forthcoming growth of the mind, body and spirit of the youth and what a lovely light it brings. As the harvest arrives, so does the haberdashery, glitz, glamor and glue to guide our best and brightest into the hallowed halls of education and social embroidery.
What better way to celebrate the start of the school year than with a parade. As we saw, Blaine County students made it happen.Trucks, trailers and living floats carted the young superstars as they sang, cheered and beamed their way through the center of town. The dancing and energy was palpable. It was the bright light of showtime and they certainly showed it. The makeup and dressup and cheer — an absolute vibe.
Homecoming is about so much more than a game. It’s about togetherness, trust, a cool drink from a mountain spring before the hike, a forward motion into the upcoming focus of becoming bigger, better, stronger and smarter. Regardless of the outcome of that first game, we take pride in the fact that the turnout was excellent and through that one loss, the tone for winning the next match was set. And while we remember the mutual respect shown at the end of the game with handshakes and back pats, we will face them again, we will beat them — we will win. Hurdles happen in life (that’s why we do hurdle stretches).
Sure, the Wolverines may have lost to the Buhl Indians for.. one game! But is that the only point to Homecoming — the game? There were multiple injuries, critical punts, and exciting rallies. Everyone had a great time. The bleachers were screaming in color with many dressed in facepaint, bespoke costumes, suits and chic couture. An absolute vibe.
Shift the perspective. We shed a few tears and move on. Why? Because it’s only the first game, a small pawn in the much larger chess game of life. Look into the future and you see the answer: wisdom. There are lessons in mistakes — they make us better. We tighten our focus, train, study, and believe in what happens next. Remember the story of the rabbit and the hare? Well, right now the Buhl Indians are the hare, resting on their laurels, taking a break while we’re free to move forward. There’s classes, clothes, reading, new games and new date nights!
The clear lesson, the first one of the year, is to think, act, prepare and try harder. That’s Homecoming. It’s a ritual to start the year. More than a single game, it’s the beginning of a new life. Gentle as it may be, this year Wood River High School has before it a clear day and on a clear day you can see forever!
If you were there, you know. If not, enjoy the photos. It’s the spirit of the beehive, the event that’s so crucial to bringing unity. These are the living roots of an evergreen tree of community.
That’s what this is all about: communication, unity, energy and expression. Homecoming is a teaser for the upcoming school year, the king, queen, team and the time to get to it. We believe in the Wolverines, in Blaine County, and a brilliant future for everyone as they freely pursue their dreams.