Football is a heavy contact sport, but sometimes that contact can go too far. On Friday, Aug. 31, the Falcon football team got a first hand glimpse at what “too far” means when they versed the Clinton Riverkings.

At the end of the fourth quarter, with about three minutes left, junior quarterback Zach Trevino was left unconscious on the field after what was arguably an illegal play. This unfortunate event shined a light on the family that is West High School.

“It’s always rough seeing someone down and you don’t know if he is going to be alright or not,” senior middle linebacker Logan Schwenn stated.

With Trevino still on the field, unmoving, and a flag not thrown by the refs, the Falcon fans were audibly upset. Heavy tensions started to brew between the teams. The clock was stopped with Falcons down 9-34.

Senior Lily Hancock commented on the reaction of the Riverkings towards Trevino.

“When one of our players was literally unconscious on the ground, they didn’t even take a knee… they cheered. Every time when one of their players were down for something, we would take a knee,” Hancock said.

West High students, parents, and fans roared with anger at the disrespect towards their fellow Falcon who was slowly starting to move.

“Everybody got all riled up because we were standing behind him. He obviously wasn’t able to stand up for himself in that situation, so we took it upon ourselves to do that for him, and I think that was pretty cool of us,” Hancock said.

As the West football players were directed to their locker room, Clinton Riverkings huddled on the field. Police and referees were desperately trying to calm down the increasingly angry crowds, and prevent more injuries. There was a sigh of relief from West fans as Trevino finally walked off the field with the aid of his coaches.

The bond of the West High Falcon football team was made evident, as well as the support they have from their fans.

“I’ve never seen the amount of heart our football team had until that last play,” senior Leah Anderson said.

Even though the Falcons may have lost the game, the strong bond, and family aspect gave them a win of a different kind.

“Knowing that even though I might not be friends with everyone in the student section, it’s a good feeling to know that you have a supporting cast throughout the student body at every game,” Trevino said. “What really stood out to me was how much my teammates really had my back because when I walked into the locker room, everyone was very emotional, showing how much of a strong family we have.”