Making History: Staples’ First Friday Night Lights
Ryder Chasin '14, Web News Editor
September 17, 2012 • 134 views
Filed under Sports
Thousands of fans flocked to Staples Stadium on Fri. night. Some brought whistles, most others paraded around in the brightest, whitest Staples garb they could find. But all fans, no matter age or apparel, had one common tagalong: anticipation.
They knew when the sun went down, the lights came up.
Fri., Sept. 14, was opening night for Staples football in 2012, but to many around the community the game signified much more than just the first game of the season. This was the first regular season game under the lights in Staples Stadium history, and the first ever to be played under the permanent installments.
Kickoff was at 7 p.m. and, although the first drive resulted in a Staples fumble, the Wreckers went on to win the game 49-28, scoring 42 of their points in the second half alone.
The Staples scoring was bolstered by James Frusciante ’13, whose three touchdowns included a 70-yard punt return and a 62-yard reception from Jack Massie ’14. Patrick Lesch ’14 and Teddy Coogan ’15 added scoring of their own, Lesch running for two touchdowns of 30 and 39 yards and Coogan with a 41-yard run in the fourth quarter.
This, according to Head Coach Marce Petroccio, more than compensated for the injured Nick Kelly ’13.
“We had a lot to overcome coming into this game, and we did,” Petroccio said. “Especially considering the injuries we had, I’m proud of the job these guys did.”
However, the impact of the night stretched beyond the blowout victory. To Petroccio and the fans, this game—under the lights—impacted history.
“People got a taste of what this year’s going to be like. We picked up where we left off,” Petroccio said. “We’re 1-0 at the end of a historic night, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
