Gallery • 3 Photos

Marilyn Attles

The Blackout game took place on September 15th at Russell Field.

The annual football home opener, better known as Blackout, took place the second Friday of September. CRLS students of all grades watched a nail-biter game that left Rindge defeated in the last few seconds.

Though the game started off roughly for the Falcons, they were able to get within two points of the lead by half-time. By the third quarter, they were within one point of taking the lead, and scored within the first minute of the fourth quarter. Halfway through the fourth, Rindge scored another touchdown, reaching a total lead of seven points: 53-46.

The last three minutes were practically a tug-of-war between Cambridge and Lowell, with timeouts thrown in that tired the audience, who had been standing throughout the entire game on the bleachers due to rain.

With a minute-and-a-half left in the fourth quarter, Lowell was down by two. The crowd—which had dwindled from the first quarter—was ecstatic, but cautious. As the clock ticked, Lowell inched closer towards the end zone. With four seconds to go, they made a field goal, ending the game in the lead by only one point: 62-61.

The coach of varsity football, Roy Howard, told the Register Forum before the game that he hopes that the team competes “until the last whistle.” Reggie Dessources, a senior who plays on the football team, echoed Coach Howard’s sentiments: “Every second, every yard matters in the game.”

As for football at CRLS, Dessources says the Falcons have something special: “I love the team we have now because we have heart. … We’re ready for any team that comes our way.”

While the football game was the main event of the night, Blackout is always so much more than just the four quarters.

Junior Alia Farah, who has been to Blackouts every year she’s been at Rindge, spoke about what Blackout means to her. “The grade feels more united, and we’re so pumped for senior year, we’re ready,” she said. “I’m ready, bro.”

For freshmen, Blackout is one of the first all-school gathering that 9th graders can participate in. Freshman Zavier Dunbar said, “It was fun. I got to see a lot of my friends who I didn’t think went to football games.”

“Falcon Pride was present and I felt that that the school came together as one,” said senior Bmenet Girum. Girum has been to every Blackout throughout his time at Rindge and said he’ll miss the post-game gatherings. “It is amazing how everybody appreciates each other outside of school,” he concluded.

This piece also appears in our September print edition.