On September 5th of 2025, Ike had their very first home game of the school year! With it came an eventful night, and an evening filled with games at the Freshman Tailgate!
Freshman Tailgate
To kick off the Friday night festivities, Eisenhower’s very own Link Crew hosted a freshman only event before the football game! The freshman tailgate is an event hosted every year before the first home football game in which freshmen are able to come and play games, make friends, and enjoy themselves before the home football game. Those who attend the tailgate are welcomed with free food, fun games and prizes and free entry football game for that night.
The tailgate was met with positive reactions from Ike’s newest eagles. “I think the tailgate is really fun and I am having a great time!” stated Orianna Strong.
Some were especially excited for the free food. “Y’all fed me so well, I got a bunch of food so I think it was worth it,” said Marquis Dixon, along with friend William Ramirez who said “The tailgate is definitely more fun than I expected and it was really worth it, thank you Eisenhower.”
The tailgate was met with a really positive reaction from freshman Alyssa Garcia who stated, “It’s super fun, you guys should do this every day!”
Not only did the freshman in attendance enjoy the event but so did the Link Crew leaders who hosted it. Senior Karla Mendez reflected on the tailgate sharing that, “Hosting the tailgate was amazing as it gave freshmen a chance to enjoy free games, food and their first high school football game. The event brought people together because there was lots of communication and goofiness spread throughout!”
Link Crew leaders did admit that setting everything up was time consuming and it was also hot when doing so. Junior Ruby Perez shared that, “It was really fun seeing all the freshmen hang out and get to know each other while also involving themselves in school events. It was very hot and took very long to set up but it was worth it in the end seeing the games being played and appreciated. I had fun and I’m sure others did as well! Very successful afternoon!”
Ike’s Link Crew leaders did an awesome job at fostering community and setting up this fun event for freshmen to enjoy. Way to welcome Eisenhower’s newest eagles!
Eisenhower Vs. Cypress
The home opener under the lights didn’t play out how Eisenhower imagined. The scoreboard read 0-40 by the final whistle. But if you were there, you know the night was not just about the numbers.
This game was our first at home, and it came wrapped in colorful leis and Teen Beach Movie energy. Students packed the stands, dressed loud and bright, embodying the theme. Even with the score climbing against us, the bleachers stayed loud with chants and cheers.
“It’s really fun, but it sucks that we’re losing,” senior Gianni Vergara admitted, “I like the spirit though!” That balance of honesty and hype echoed throughout the night.
Principal Kristal Pulido, or H.P. as she is know by at Eisenhower, summed it up best: “I know the score doesn’t look like what we want it to look like… but I’m incredibly proud of our team still, because we’re fighting, we’re showing up for each other. The sidelines still sound positive. I couldn’t be more proud.”
And if the field had its struggles, the stands made up for it. “I love this school, I love the school spirit,” said cheerleader Victoria Gonzalez. “I love how they’re all so hype and follow the cheerleaders’ cheers. And, yeah, it’s a great game!”
The student section became its own show. “We’re losing so badly, zero to forty is crazy work,” joked Valeria Martinez, “but the student section, best it’s been and it was especially great to see the freshmen participating with everyone else. The people with the megaphone thingies, they’ve got it down for sure. School spirit out of ten.” Her cousin Natalia Martinez agreed: “Honestly, I think the student section is great. I think this is the biggest and the best we’ve had so far.”
From the cheerleaders on the field to the mascots in the crowd, Eisenhower showed that school spirit is not conditional. “Basically, I feel like school spirit is really important… we are losing badly, but [fans] are still here, they’re still supporting their team,” said Ashley Valadez-Marin.
Of course, not everyone was completely satisfied. “Why are we forty to zero?” Valerie Sosa laughed, adding that the team “needs to get it together,” but even she admitted she had fun in the stands.
And if there was one thing tying the night together, it was fun. “Some schools can’t do that,” said Kevin Villalobos. “The fact that we’re having fun in the stands while we’re losing is a whole different vibe.”
By the time the band took the field for halftime, the message was clear: Eisenhower might take a hit on the scoreboard, but not in heart. “You can beat us,” said Michelle Jara, “but you can’t beat our team spirit.”
So yes, the Eagles fell in their first home game, but the night soared anyway. The student section showed up, the cheers carried, and the theme tied it all together. To borrow the words of Jaylani Whitfield: “Although we lost, we kept a very good energy, and we just supported our team through the end.”
Eisenhower may be down 0 to 40, but this school spirit? That is undefeated.
