The student section roars as the ball is carried into the end zone, the dedicated students then continue to celebrate the accomplishment by repeatedly cheering “Hey we got a touch down” at the top of their lungs.

Friday night, Tigard football fought in the second round of playoffs, coming out with another victory to add to their undefeated title. The final score of the game was 42-20. Sunset came into the game with a seven to three record with the majority being victories, however, they faced the undefeated Tigers, ranked number two in state.

The Tigers claimed the first touchdown of the night, they then consistently managed to add to their score throughout the first half. The final score at the end of the first quarter was 14-0, Tigard with the advantage. They then continued to hold the Apollos back throughout the second quarter, ending the first half at 21-0.

“You could really feel the emotion and the energy in the locker room compared to last week where it was dull and no one was really excited to play,” said senior Austin Goodhouse. As with many other sports, football is not only a physical game, but mentality of the athletes also has a huge impact on their performance.

The crowd, though smaller than usual, managed to keep the spirit alive. The student fans stood and cheered in below freezing temperatures for three hours to support the boys in their game. It will continually be debatable on whether or not a group cheering for a team improves the teams performance as a whole, but the support is always present.

The second half of the game started with a touchdown by Sunset, putting them on the board. After allowing a touchdown, the Tigers came back with another touchdown to end the third quarter.

Once again, the Apollos started the quarter with a score, however, shortly after, they allowed their opponent to score yet again, making a 35-14 score. After another touchdown for Sunset, Tigard scored with less than three minutes left in the game, totaling the final score of the game out to be 42-20, another defeat for the Tigers. They will continue to move onto the next round in the playoffs. Next Friday, Tigard will face Jesuit high school in the third round of playoffs.

The game was an improvement from previous games, it started strong, and although Tigard allowed two touchdowns, they stayed strong both mentally and physically and came out with another great win. Make sure to come and support Tigard football next week as they progress to each game.