The Athletic Boosters are on a mission to bring a “Friday night lights” atmosphere to Falcon football and, this past week, they certainly nailed it.

Leading up to the game, a carnival of activities was hosted behind the home stands, boasting music, performances, raffles, inflatable activities and games aplenty for local youngsters to enjoy. The boosters were joined by many local clubs, businesses and organizations to make this event a success and, judging by how many kids were running around, I’d say they pulled it off.

Once kick off rolled around, the Falcons marched onto the field through a giant football helmet. The student section was utterly packed, with the new mascot keeping everyone loud and proud.

The band and spirit line kept the energy high while parents and community members filled the stands to cheer on the team.

The atmosphere was electric, and it looks like some of that energy spilled out onto the field and helped spur the Falcons on to a big win over Chino Valley.

For those of you who remember the way big home games were “back in the day,” I think it’s safe to say that Friday nights have returned in a big way.

The boosters plan on keeping this going throughout the season, too, so I’d encourage anyone interested in spending some time with their neighbors and enjoying the hard work of local students on the field, cheering and playing music, to come out and get in on the action.

The boosters have a lot of surprises in store, too, so there’s no telling what might be added to the festivities in the coming weeks. I understand this week’s game is a tribute to local veterans, complete with a fly over, special flag ceremony and a visit from another famous feathered Arizona mascot.

This week’s game is set to begin at a special time, 6:30 p.m., to accommodate the arrival of the Falcon Warbirds overhead.

If you don’t have anything else going on, you might want to come out and see what all of the fuss is about.

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As many of you may have heard, our Special Sections Editor, Linda McThrall, had a tussle with the pavement several weeks back.

I’m happy to report that a few broken bones couldn’t keep Linda down for very long and that she’s back in the office now, taking care of business.

She wrapped up the pet section, calendar and Oktoberfest guide you’ll find in this very issue, and she’s already hard at work pulling together the upcoming Home Guide. Not bad for being back at work for less than two weeks, right?

As for her sections here in The Times, Linda is getting back into the groove of things with clubs, entertainment and spouts. If you have anything to submit for those sections, feel free to send them her way once again.

Bob and Barb did a fantastic job helping me keep up with things in Linda’s absence, but I think it’s safe to say we’re all excited to have the band back together again.