Friday nights in October are notorious for high school football but this week’s game takes place on October 31: Halloween. For high school students this typically doesn’t present a conflict, but it does with the football coaches who have young children.
“My wife has a plan(for Halloween). She basically turns into a single mom during football season and she understands the role so she’s got something planned,” outside linebacker coach Brandon Villarreal said. “Most likely it will be at my sister-in-law’s house in the neighborhood, but yes there is a plan in place I’m just not involved with it. My 7 year old is going to be a zombie football player and my youngest is going to be Thomas the Train.”
Being a football coach for years, Villarreal is well versed in balancing this kind of conflict.
“It’s something that when I took this job I knew this might be the case so I think I’ve learned to deal with it a lot better but it beats at me a little bit that I can’t be with them,” Villarreal said. “Everytime I leave the house when I’m supposed to go to work they always cry and tell me to stay home so it can be a tough job.”
Football coach Brandon Villarreal will not be able to trick-or-treat with his kids on Halloween night.
Receivers coach Shawn Purcell is going through the same thing.
“We talked about it this past weekend and my wife said there is this deal from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for Halloween where they take them trick or treating,” Purcell said. “They will go from about 6:00-6:45 p.m. and then they will get to the game.”
There isn’t a perfect solution for the coaches but they are at the mercy of the calendar.
“I have enjoyed the last 5-7 years trick or treating with them and it is a lot of fun,” Purcell said. “It is unfortunate I’m not going to be able to see them this year.”
Football coach Ryan Priem will have to adjust his family’s plans on Halloween so that his children can trick-or-treat and attend the football game.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Priem is relying on his extended family to help with Halloween so his children don’t miss out on anything.
“My mother-in-law and father-in-law are coming in town tomorrow and they’re going to go trick-or-treating and then come to the game,” Priem said.
Although having a game on Halloween isn’t the ideal situation, all the coaches understand it’s part of job.
“It’s part of it. My wife understands that me being a coach makes her a single mom for four or five months, but I would have loved to be able to go trick-or-treating with them,” Priem said. “Halloween was on a Thursday night last year so I was able to get home and do a little trick-or-treating with them.”
