On Monday, January 13th, at 4:15, Shadow Ridge had a very special night for both parents and students. A ceremony was held to honor all American military veterans or active duty military members, and then Shadow’s varsity flag football team played their game. This was a very special event for everyone involved because both veterans and current members were celebrated for their amazing bravery and service for the country.

Anyone from the military could have been appreciated and there was no limit to the number of veterans or people who attended. The girls on the varsity team were present at the ceremony, and then they played their game against Basic High School.

Coach Nighswonger, the Varsity Flag Football Coach, knows that this night was important for the veterans and their families. 

“I hope that they feel appreciated from the Shadow Ridge Flag Football Program,” Nighswonger says.

There are many different branches of the military, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Space Force. Each of these branches are equally important and protect the country in their own way.

This Warrior Night event has been celebrated at this school for 10 years now, and it is always held around the second or third Monday of the new year. Nighswonger loves having Warrior Night because of its purpose and the service that our school does for the military and the country.

“It is our way to honor those who have served our nation,” Nighswonger comments.

The military plays such an important part in keeping the country safe and peaceful. They have to have so much courage to serve and even fight sometimes in order to keep all of the citizens safe. The people who serve also sacrifice so much, such as time with their families and friends, leisure time to go wherever they want, and sometimes even the lives of their friends and colleagues.

Kamryn Gregory, a sophomore, was excited for Warrior Night and the soldiers who were honored.

“I think that Warrior Night was very special for the soldiers, their families, and everyone else too, because the soldiers do so much for us. They deserve to be honored,” Gregory says.

In 2022 during Warrior Night, stealth bombers and B-52 planes flew over the event, which was super fun and cool to watch. Honoring warriors is very important to Shadow Ridge because they do so much for the country.