Jakiah Birmingham only needed her flute to be the solo instrument in performing the national anthem for the Linden-Kildare football game crowd Friday. She played her flute to a quiet and appreciative audience. Photos on page by Neil Abeles.
Linden-Kildare High School exchange student Lena Matuszak from Germany is attending her first American football game. Lena is a junior grade student. She’s painted her face just perfectly for her adopted school.
Several of the press box officials and school team and technical helpers are awaiting the start of the Linden-Kildare football game.
Happy to be chosen the Linden-Kildare homecoming queen and king are, standing at the right, Keegan Salers and Ja’Maiya Mack.
Those bells and horns of the wind instruments sing out over a football crowd. The musicians like to be together. Linden-Kildare’s Tiger Band players are not shy about sounding out.
It takes a whole family to be decorated for the L-K Homecoming. These two families with their young children of the court are the Jay Hawley family at left and the Dylan Duncan family at right.
The community-minded Linden Lions Club is boosting the Linden Tigers with an annual school quilt drawing. The Lions are, from left, Bill Thomas, Mary Dowd, the Rev. Kara Mitchell, Paul Ellinger and Clifton Trusty. Each year, among other items, the club aw
The national anthem is being played before the start of the Linden-Kildare football game last Friday, and so its hands over hearts for these students of Linden-Kildare who are selling gift school gift items to the public.
Kortin Mack is holding a box full of treats and a congratulatory balloon as a reward for his sister Ja’Maiya Mack who happens to be out on the field as a member of the homecoming court and soon to be announced queen.
Linden Stadium: Best of both worlds
The Tiger football stadium for Linden-Kildare is one of the best both for playing and watching the game.
For the player, the ground is real grass and sod, sloped from the center to the sidelines. Players find they have a little extra speed when trying to sweep an end. And they can hit the ground or the other player hard without too much injury.
But it is the stadium and its environment which is pleasant. One has to travel a few miles of country highway to get here, then one sees from afar the lighted playing field which is out on a field. It seems like a festival.
The accommodations are fine for fans. Everything is close together. The ticket office, the concession stand and the fans themselves sit with the band nearby and the cheerleaders just a few feet away at front where they can talk to the crowd. Just above them is the press box, and the announcer’s voice is friendly and easily heard.
One of the best parts is that often a special guest will sing or play the national anthem to start the contest. The very respectful crowd will stand quietly, most with hand over heart. Just this past week, Jakiah Birmingham played the anthem on her solo flute. It was bewitching.
Then, there is a most important blessings of coming to Tiger Stadium. It is the tradition of memorable contests which have gone on here. Fans still lean and stand against the encircling metal fencing to cheer their teams out on the field. A lot of visiting goes on here, and sometimes past heroes are present in the crowd. One senses that, once upon a time, important moments occurred here.
Finally, one might say that the special feature of coming to the stadium out in a pasture is the number of smiling faces one will see to greet you. Linden itself is spread out. Coming to Tiger Stadium and maybe getting to see the moon rise over the visitor’s side of the field is like coming home.