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Spirit Knight packs Moody Field

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Sophomore Taylor Nation brings down Senior Lindsey Strammel during a powderpuff football game at Spirit Knight at Moody Field on Wednesday. CHUCK?BALLARO

There’s no better time to be a high school student than Homecoming, when they get an opportunity to show their school spirit in numerous ways, from in school to the football game to the dance.

On Wednesday, a dreary night at Moody Field did not deter much of the student body at North Fort Myers High School from a night of food and fun as the “Knight to Savor” event was held.

It was an evening of friendly competition among the four graduating classes where the genders switched sides and got to experience how it feels at the other end.

The guys became the cheerleaders and the gals became the jocks as they competed for powderpuff football supremacy, as well as for which class had the most overall spirit.

“It’s part of the whole spirit of homecoming week. The classes competing against each other and the community gets to come out and see what kind of fun they’re having,” said Matt Medieros, North principal.

This year’s version had a new twist as several restaurants gathered behind the north end zone to sell samples of their menu items and, judging by the nearly packed house and the fact many ran out of food early, it could be assumed it was a success and will be done next year.

“The turnout is amazing. It’s better than I thought and next year I hope we get more restaurants. Now, that people see what it is, maybe next year we’ll have tables halfway around the track,” said event organizer and teacher Jennifer Curls. “Before you just stood in the stands and watched. I thought it would bring a community feel to the school.”

The classes did not throw it together, either. They prepared and practiced for weeks for this night – to the point where the freshmen cheer squad looked as though they could join the girls on Friday night with their raw talent.

“They’re pretty creative. I give them credit because they have a lot of guts doing what they’re doing,” Medieros said.

The powderpuff football was very competitive. Both preliminary games came down to the last score, with the sophomores winning on a late “pick six” by MacKenzie Peterson, who said she heard the opposing quarterback tip the play.

“I heard the quarterback call the receiver’s name, so I went that way, caught it and ran,” Peterson said. “We were the first freshman team to win last year so we have to keep winning.”

Perhaps this year’s freshmen had the edge in spirit, as they had arguably the best cheer squad, donated the most canned goods, and with the purple and black had the coolest T-shirts.

Jamie Crompton said her fellow ninth-graders were doing “Amazing. Hello?”

“We are winning. Our cheerleaders are amazing, I mean, they did cradles, toe touches and jumps,” Crompton said about their ability to do cheerleader moves, before singing happy birthday to Valerie.

The freshmen beat the juniors in overtime to set up a game against the sophomores, who defended their crown by winning 14-7 in front of a nearly packed stands.

Gabriella Ciancimino, a junior, was more mellow about things even as the freshmen would eventually prove victorious.

“The fact we don’t have a girls football team motivates me to come out here and play and show them what we got,” Ciancimino said. “We love it. Everyone here gets along. We’re one big family. It’s great.”