First Friday Night Lights

By Grace Deng

On September 8, 2017, Shanghai American School hosted its first Friday Night Lights of the year. Friday Night Lights is an event hosted several times throughout the year at SAS in which SAS Pudong sports teams play against rival schools.

At 4:30, the announcer blared in anticipation while Fernando the Eagle, the school mascot, ran around the fields, hyping up the crowd. The baseball game had already begun as the JV girls team shouted their pregame chant, ready to take on SAS Puxi. Inside, SAS’ JV girls and boys volleyball teams got in position to take on Concordia International School. Crowds began to grow both outdoors and indoors as people drifted from the PTSA boosters to the bleachers to watch the games. Although the JV girls and boys both ultimately lost to Puxi, the baseball team was miles ahead of Concordia on the scoreboard.

In between games, free giveaways for SAS shirts were being held. Blue and white pompoms were handed out by sports players waiting to play, and people quickly discovered the pompoms could be tied onto hair or looped onto glasses, creating some rather interesting spectacles. Some of the varsity rugby boys emerged with new haircuts, having shaven the sides of their heads to show team spirit.

By 5:30, the energy of the crowds both indoors and outdoors was undeniable as the girls varsity rugby team got in position. Indoors, the JV girls and boys volleyball teams were in the final stretches of their games, with the boys team losing to Concordia and the girls team winning. The girls' varsity rugby team would ultimately lose against Puxi, but not without a spirited fight.

Varsity girls rugby doing their pregame chant. Photograph by Andrew Lau.

At 6, the varsity rugby boys played against Puxi and won by a milestone, while the varsity volleyball boys lost in a close final match with Concordia. Meanwhile, the baseball game wrapped up, SAS PD having annihilated Concordia. 

At 7:30, scores of buses left as students headed home. Although SAS Pudong did not win every game, students left knowing that the sports teams of SAS Pudong were worth cheering for.