Everybody loves high school football games. Be it the traditional aspect of supporting your home town, the enthusiasm pulsing through the crowd, or the adrenaline of living vicariously through the players, we have something in common to look forward to on those Friday nights in the fall.

For most high-schoolers, it’s the hype of the student section. The excitement of screaming in ecstasy with your classmates when a touchdown is scored is a feeling unlike any other, unless of course you’re the player who helped score the touchdown and you feel proud eyes on you.

Those are the only two options for most students that wish to contribute to Friday night football. Except for one, whose job is extremely important in making these football games run smoothly.

Senior Hunter Jonas spends every football game in the press box taking stats and helping everyone stay up to date with what’s happening in the game below.

As an avid swimmer, Jonas never got involved in actually playing football himself. He has the mentality for the ball game, not the physical ability.

“I know what to do, I just can’t do it,” Jonas said with a laugh.

He’s always loved watching football. When he was younger, he would often correctly predict the outcome of certain games. When Jonas became good at it, he was inspired to become involved with statistics.

The school became aware of Jonas’ interest in taking stats, and he landed the spot through his dad two years ago.

His job on Friday night starts long before the game does, with an email to the opposing team’s head coach asking for their roster. Once that is put into the book, he enters the records and names, where the game is and what time it starts.

Jonas then waits in anticipation for the game to start, where he will put in the time each quarter and half starts and ends. He also writes who kicks off, who the ball goes to, the returner, the tackler, where the ball ends up, and who runs it, over and over again.

During halftime, Jonas prints off the statistics written down so far and run it to the people talking on the radio.
At the end of each game, he wraps it up by writing what time it ended, updating all the records, and printing off the statistics to give it to the press.

His job is not an easy one at this. He must work at a very fast pace and under the pressure of knowing that his stats must be perfectly accurate. Despite the pressure, Jonas thoroughly enjoys writing the statistics.

“I think it’s really cool to be sitting up with the coaches and broadcasting people,” Jonas said, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up on his nose. “I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything in the student section because I feel like I’m helping the team out more by doing what I’m doing. Plus, it’s way cooler to be up in the press box.” Jonas added with a smile.