Suburban Skyview: Evening shadows follow a football team through stretches

Football teams are big. There can be more than 100 players in uniform on game night.

In Illinois high school football, players come in every shape and size, every level of athleticism, big schools and small, every ethnicity and socio-economic background, and all levels of heart and grit. But the one thing every team has in common is they have to practice as a team.

Camaraderie and traditions form during practice and around games. Freshmen may have to carry the equipment to the practice field, some teams ring the bell after a victory, some gather for breakfast on game day. At Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, parents and siblings watch the team stretch on the practice field before everyone marches across campus behind the band to the stadium.

The players line up on the yard lines of the practice field and follow each other through a series of stretches and runs. They are all equal and ready to play.

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