This year our Eagles football varsity team not only has a very supportive fanbase in our student body, but also a behind the scenes team, one not so recognized. This team, composed of the player’s moms, puts forth a lot of effort into everything they do for our football program; whether it’s decorating a locker room or making 40 pounds of spaghetti sauce for team dinners.

The football moms make it a priority to decorate the varsity boy’s locker room every Thursday before their game.

“It only takes an hour to put decorations up,” says Ana Portillo, mom of Jon Paul (JP) Portillo, 11th. “But posters usually take a day or so by themselves.”

The moms have even given themselves a nickname.

“Last year we got super fast [at decorating] and named ourselves the Ninjas and it just stuck,” laughs mother Dorothy Colon of Andrew Colon, 12th.

It’s a really large, joint effort on all of the mom’s parts.

“I feel like it gives the football boys positive vibes, according to what I’ve heard from my son and other players,” says Tori Batton, mother of Blake Lodes, 11th.

Coach Beau Riley sees the benefit of the mom’s actions.

“I think it’s a neat thing for the kids because it shows that the parents are involved and they care and how much they support them on Fridays. Which I think kind of helps them realize that no matter what happens during the game, they’re always loved at home.”

On top of being locker room interior decorators, the moms also manage to cook enough food for all 94 players every Thursday for their team dinner. The players enjoy the experience.

“Team dinner always helps the team bond. Whether it’s talking about school, football, or nothing important, it all helps us bond. Our bond is strong and cannot be broken. At school and on the field, we are all brothers. The food is also always great,” says Deven Langston, 11th.

The moms also look forward to team dinners as well.

“It is always a challenge to find something that will feed that many and won’t break. Personally, I enjoy getting to know them as individuals and it’s nice to hear that someone enjoys your cooking. It’s like Thanksgiving: all day to make and ten minutes to eat, but the boys are amazing and helpful,” says Dorothy Colon.