School is back! The season is fall. Most importantly, high school football is back every Friday night! It has been a whole year since the bright lights with a cool breeze at 7:00 kickoff. The student section is fired up, the cheerleaders are cheering on our Spartans, but the players are ready to show up and show out every Friday night, under the lights this 2025 season.
When asked about expectations this year, head coach, Nick Keefer, said three things, “build the foundation, compete for the playoffs, but most importantly, grow.” He added that if he could highlight one thing, it would be the way the team has came together to help one another. Band director Patrick Kealey said, when asked about the feeling when playing during the game, “It feels amazing seeing how the students have come together as one and play for a crowd who appreciates their hard work.”
Senior Brock Heisler does care about making the playoffs, but for right now, he loves that atmosphere of playing under the lights, hearing the roar of the student section, the cheers of the cheerleaders, the band playing; to him, it’s surreal. It doesn’t matter if the game is going down to the wire, or they’re blowing out the other team by 30, the student section is going to scream their heads off cheering proudly for their football team.
When asked about the atmosphere every Friday night, senior cheerleader Ava Lebin said, “it’s amazing being around friends, getting the student section rallied, and most importantly, cheering on the Spartans.” She added that since she joined the team freshman year, it feels fulfilling now that she’s a senior still cheering, “Go team!”
Hempfield Area started the year off at home vs North Hills, at the time, a top 100 team in the state. With controlling the whole first half, the game was 14-7, with Hempfield leading at halftime. North Hills came out hot tying the game, then took the lead in the 4th, which didn’t last long as Hempfield regained the lead 28-23, and didn’t look back. Senior Henry Mutchler sealed the game with a late interception, granting Hempfield with a 1-0 start and a place in the top 100 in PA.
Hempfield Area then went on the road to Franklin Regional, another top 100 team in the state at the time. Hempfield started off hot going up 14-0, just for it to slip away and be tied at the half, 14-14. After halftime, everyone in the stands saw nothing but white, as Hempfield shut out Franklin Regional in the second half. Hempfield won 31-14. The Spartans were now 2-0.
Game 3, the Spartans were at home vs Kiski. Hempfield started the night off with Jr. Andrew Bentz returning the opening kickoff for a 96 yd touchdown. Then we got a safety, then Senior Aiden Stinebiser getting a 2 yd rushing touchdown, and finally Sr. Dominic Detruf completing a 33 yd touchdown pass to Jr. Troy Sebring, all in the 1st quarter! Halftime came around with Hempfield up 36-3. In the 3rd quarter, both teams traded touchdowns as it is 43-10. Hempfield cruised to a 3-0 start and the 79th team in Pennsylvania.
This past Friday, game 4, the Spartans went on the road against North Allegheny. Even though the Tigers cruised to a win, the Spartans still held their heads high as the community still cheered them on.
After a year long wait, everyone is stoked to find out where this year goes; so far, so good. But the only way this team continues on the road to success is for their school and community to cheer them on every Friday night, from 7 to when the lights turn off, wearing their school colors proudly.
