The crowd was cheering, the lights were shining, and a blanket of melancholy shrouded the air. On October 29, Varsity football played their final game of their careers as Oak Park High School wrapped up their 2021 football season. Although the game did not end in the way most OPHS students hoped, the night held a priceless importance: it commemorated the seniors in dance, marching band, cheer and football. 

“I thought it was a great ending to the season. There was a lot of community and I’m happy I got to be a part of this amazing program. Even if we didn’t win, we still had a lot of fun doing it,” senior Varsity cheerleader Ava Marino said. 

The night allowed the seniors to reminisce on their entire high school experience – it was a time to reflect on all the memories they had made, good and bad. 

“When I first started, it was hard work,” senior football player Louis Brown said. With your teammates, they become your friends, your brothers, and you get through it. Although practices are tough, we push through and we enjoy it. At the end of the day, it was fun.”

Even though these seniors are going to be leaving soon, they still have best regards for the team. 

“I hope they can keep up the inspiration and the love for making music while having fun at the same time,” marching band senior Max Raney said.

However, graduation does not always mean a final goodbye; some seniors plan on visiting their team even once they graduate. 

“I’ll be back next year to watch the now-juniors play, as … we are brothers also,” senior Ethan Streif said.

There’s a certain bitter sweetness associated with leaving anything one has dedicated much of their time to, but solace is always found knowing home awaits just as patiently as adventures are. Memories are frozen in time, and sometimes revisiting and reminiscing over all that took place here is yet another reminder that there is much more to make. But perhaps, some bonds are just meant to last forever.