On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Guardians battled against the Grant Generals in their homecoming game.
The theme was country, and the crowd was beyond excited. “The energy was amazing, everybody stayed, everybody was cheering, it was great,” said Kannon Walter, who was playing on the field that night. Walter was also made this week’s Guardian athlete, being known “as the kind of teammate we want every player to be.”
Though IBW’s football team had a rough start to this season due to player injuries causing some minor issues with the teams flow, “we are less confident on the depth chart, which is like the structure on who’s playing what position, but I feel like we have what it takes to win,” said Laird Hill, a junior who is part of the IBW football program.
These injuries haven’t stopped the Ida B. Wells High School football team from winning three out of four home games, including the homecoming game, beating Grant 28-20.
The win placed IBW 25th out of 41 in the OSAA rankings, making it the third-best football program in Portland Public Schools, just behind Roosevelt and Lincoln.
The game wasn’t a clear win from the beginning, as the first quarter started with IBW having six points and Grant having seven, but the Guardians pulled through as the second quarter rolled on, and that was when victory became a possibility, as IBW scored six points and Grant scored nothing.
The score was 12-7, giving IBW the lead as halftime started. An awesome half-time show was put on by the cheerleaders, with their fun energy and great choreography. The homecoming court was also able to get a time to shine, driving around in decorative trucks.
After halftime, the Generals were able to get seven points, but the Guardians were able to score eight, giving them a big edge with 20-14.
It was close, but with players like Colton Foster, an IBW sophomore, who rushed 88 yards and scored three touchdowns, the win was in sight.
Foster isn’t the only sophomore who made a big impact on winning the game. Ivan Kos, another IBW sophomore, rushed 78 yards and scored a touchdown.
The Guardians finished the game with 239 yards in total. The win was theirs, beating the Generals in the fourth quarter 28-20, giving IBW the homecoming win.
The win wasn’t the only exciting thing about the game; with the theme, bright lights and fun music, the entire game felt very country.
Many people wore cowboy hats accompanied by boots, flannel shirts and jeans. Overalls were a big hit, as well as full denim outfits. The spirit was great, as Walter said, with face painting going on, and someone did push-ups on a wooden sign.
Students in leadership made sure the energy stayed consistent, the band played some spirited music and the cheerleaders entertained us with their chants and pep.
The crowd filled the bleachers, as many students pulled up for support. After the game, students were so excited, they accidentally rushed the football team on the field earlier than usual, but after the game, many congratulations and accolades were given, making the IBW 2025 homecoming game a memorable win.
