Taking what will soon be remembered as their final steps on the field of Grim Stadium, the seniors scanned the crowd of their last home game with blinding lights of camera flashes in their eyes and their parents by their sides at Senior Night on Thursday, Oct. 29.

“[While walking down the field,] I was thinking about all my friends and family that I’m going to be leaving behind,” senior cheerleader Savannah Shively said. “The whole thing is just really sad. It didn’t really make me cry until I started to talk about it, but it’s crazy to think that this is my last home game to cheer at.”

Many seniors never envisioned this night actually taking place and experienced mixed emotions when their time to take the field finally came.

“Being a senior at Texas High is definitely bittersweet because everyone looks forward to senior year, but when it gets here, you’re like, ‘Woah, I want this to slow down’ just because it’s a great place and my sister and all of my friends are here,” senior cheerleader Anna Catherine Boudreaux said. “ Being on the field for the last time is also sad, but I’m glad that I’m here with all of my cheer best friends and that I get to experience my last game at Grim with them.”

Not only was the night a tear-jerker for the soon-to-be-graduates, but the people they are leaving behind also felt the emotional atmosphere present during the procession.

“It was really sad seeing [all of the seniors] together for the last time on the field because some of them are my best friends,” junior Marjorie Slimer said. “I feel like I’m going to start crying at any moment. I’m really going to miss them all.”

While no one could deny that the scene was a sentimental one, most the seniors tried not to dwell on the fact that this was their time to attend a home game as students.

“It’s a humbling experience to finally be here walking the field,” senior Trevor Danley said. “It’s going to be sad when the game is over, but I’m going to try to enjoy it throughout the night.”

For most of the students leaving, the entire occurrence was one not only of nostalgia, but also of disbelief.

“[The fact that this is my last home game] hasn’t really hit me yet, but before halftime, one of the drill team girls is going to read a letter, and I know that I’m going to cry,” senior drill team captain Sarah Hickerson said. “Some of the girls got the seniors gifts and wrote us letters, and I’ve not even opened them yet. I’m definitely waiting until I get home to read them so that I can cry in my room by myself where no one can see me. It’s all surreal right now, but it’s all going to hit me around the fourth quarter. It’s not going to be pretty.”

Even though the night was considered to be both a chaotic and emotional one, many feel that senior night was a success and a proper way to say farewell to Friday night lights and the seniors who filled the stadium.

“I actually thought senior night went really well,” Student Council sponsor Susan Waldrep said.  “Every year we have a few hiccups– people in the wrong place alphabetically, but everyone’s name was called out. That’s the big thing– to let [the seniors] get that moment on the jumbotron and let them know how much we appreciate them. This year’s group of seniors are worker bees. They take care of business, and I’m really proud of them. I hope they knew that we recognize them because they are very important to our school.”