There’s nothing quite like Walt Whitman High School during Homecoming, and this year’s festivities proved to be no different. The week was full of school spirit and pride, all leading up to the big football game between our Wildcats and the Sachem North Flaming Arrows last Saturday.

The bleachers were packed and the crowd was electric right from the opening kickoff of the game. In the first quarter, Sachem North relied heavily on its offense and took advantage of a blocked punt to build a 14-0 lead. However, the Wildcats remained motivated and bounced back in the second quarter, when Isaiah Wilkerson completed a pass to Tyrese Betts, who then ran into the end zone for a touchdown. At the end of a thrilling first half, the score was 22-7, with momentum seeming to be on Whitman’s side.

Following a halftime show in which fans were treated to performances from the Kickline as well as the Marching Band, the Wildcats carried their momentum from the second quarter into the third, outscoring Sachem North 7-3. Wilkerson provided the only touchdown, this time relying on his legs and rushing into the end zone. As the quarter came to a close, it was anyone’s game with the score 25-14. The crowd really came alive as the fourth quarter began; Whitman supporters stood and cheered, inspiring the Wildcats to complete the possible comeback in stunning fashion. The fans became even louder when Wilkerson completed his second touchdown pass of the game to Jamari Brown. The team then succeeded in scoring the two-point conversion, drawing the Wildcats to within three points of their opponents. Unfortunately, despite Whitman’s continued fight, the score would remain as such. The Flaming Arrows walked away with the 25-22 victory.

However, the Wildcats never gave up and remained resilient the entire game, giving life to bleachers full of supporters. Junior Vincent Pastore spoke for the whole team when he said, “We were not only playing for us; we were playing for the school and everyone in the stands who was supporting us. Hearing how loudly they got at the end of the game and hearing everyone scream ‘Defense!’ gave us that extra drive and push we needed because they wanted us to win as much as we did.”

Despite the loss, the game was still packed with intensity and plenty of action, and was a fitting way to cap off Spirit Week here at Whitman.