The springs were loose and pointy, and the upholstery was ripping, but the East High School tailgating couch was our Friday night football sanctuary.
Scarlet tailgating in the early 2000s would not have been the community it was if not for the old broken down sofa sitting on the sough parking lot lawn of Williams Stadium on Des Moines’ east side. For these four short hours before and after every EHS football game, a schoolyard click or classification did not matter. Jock or band nerd, prep or goth — all were welcome to grill a burger, hot dog, brat or veggies while sitting on the five-foot plush student thrown.
Next to the coach was Jared Gravey’s pickup truck. The tailgate was always down to provide extra seating for fellow students, and a bed sheet with a spray painted EHS emblem always flew on a wooden flagpole suspended in the truck bed. The giant hood of my 1974 Ford Gran Torino would also provide ample lounging space. It was a senior-led tradition passed from class to class.
In the homecomings celebrations I’ve covered throughout Jasper County, I’ve seen moments that remind me of my high school tradition. While driving to the Collins-Maxwell/Baxter game on Highway F14, I remember a young runner in American flag shorts was carrying a football with other joggers, and a support car was in tow. It was the CMB cross country team on the final leg of a 30-mile run, carrying the homecoming game ball from opponent Nevada’s home field to Baxter.
As the team entered the stadium, the Raider flag and ball-carrier led the way down the track to greet full bleacher of students, teachers and families. The runners met the football team at the 50-year line to exchange a handshake and handed off the ball like the Olympic Torch finishing the journey from Athens to the host country.
Colfax may be a town of just more than 2,000 people, but that won’t stop its citizens from having a homecoming parade. At 2:45 p.m. Friday before the big game, Colfax-Mingo Fire Department trucks, handmade floats and pickup trucks will carry the C-M fall sports teams and homecoming royalty through the streets, entertaining the townspeople planning on a night at the football field.
At EHS in 2003, the Scarlets made the state playoffs for the first time since 1989. Although the spirit of the couch was passed down to the 2004 senior class, the couch itself was not. Following the last regular-season game, nearly 300 EHS fans congregated at my friend Nate’s country house for a post-game bonfire. There was no talking — only silence as the crowd listened to the final prep game of the night when Southeast Polk clinch their game, qualifying us for state. In superstitious and ornery teenage fashion, the tailgating couch was sacrificed — ceremoniously burned, fueling the fire during the celebration.
Every school has homecoming celebrations unique to its fans. All are important and all are about community.
Contact Mike Mendenhall at
mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com