It’s never easy to lose someone you care about.
Tragedy befell the small community of Iraan on December the second, after a 40-12 win over Munday. There was a car wreck, cheerleading sponsor Liz Pope was killed, and several other cheerleaders were seriously injured.
Upon seeing what happened, cheerleaders from around West Texas and many other places mobilized and showed up to Shotwell Stadium in force, numbering 800 deep. It was a combination of a solemn night and a rowdy night. The Wellington band played a heartfelt rendition of “Amazing Grace,” and the fans were loud and raucous, losing themselves for the time being in a game, the only game that mattered in the world.
It’s a sobering reminder and an emotional time for young people like senior Steven Garlock, who lost his aunt. It’s emotional for the cheerleaders, who lost a friend. It’s sobering for the entire community, who took a hit that most who have never lived in a small town cannot comprehend.
There likely won’t be 800 cheerleaders in AT&T Stadium cheering on the Braves this week. There will, however, be the town of Iraan in attendance, unified behind a football team that’s pushing forward the only way they know how: together.
In a way, that’s the beauty of the Braves. They play together. There are stars, there’s speed, there’s talent, but the strength of the team is the same as the strength of the community: its unification. If there’s any factor that will carry the Braves over a dominating Bremond squad headed up by Roshauud Paul, that’s the factor that will do it.
The 2016 version of the Iraan Braves are special, in more ways than one. They’re undefeated, and now they have the cause. If you have to pick a team to “root” for this week, it should be them. They’re the little town that could, and they have the potential to take it all the way.
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