A new era of Jesuit High School Sacramento football has arrived. With the move into the Sierra Foothill League and the addition of permanent stadium lights, the atmosphere at home games will never be the same again. The first of these matches, which takes place on Friday, Aug. 30 against Rio Americano High School, is crucial to setting Jesuit off to a good start.

Quarterback Theodore “Teddy” Rios ’26 believes that this highly anticipated game will give the team a chance to prove themselves in a new year.

“[The lights] will just bring another level of energy and excitement before the game,” Teddy said. “The Rio game is going to be really energetic, we’re really pumped, it’s a great rivalry, everyone is super close together at both schools and we’re just trying to go out and make a statement that we’re for real.”

Although the team faces heightened expectations going into this game, they don’t plan on getting blinded by the lights. Wide receiver Ryan Reeves ’26 feels that the team will play the game the way they always do.

“Our expectations are to just go out there, do what we’ve been working on all summer, [and] take it as just another game,” Ryan said. “[With] a lot of people [and] the lights, it’s gonna be competitive but at the end of the day, [we’ll] just play Jesuit football and hopefully have the outcome we want, with a win.”

Assistant Varsity Coach Jonathan Isaac believes that for the team to be successful, they’ll need to stay level-headed and focus on their fundamentals.

“It’s going to be a fun even match,” Coach Isaac said. “They are going to be fired up to play against us; we’re going to be fired up to play against them. It’s really about controlling our emotions and focusing it into the game of football. Whenever you play those rivalry games – you’ll see that against Christian Brothers in a couple of weeks – guys kind of play a little out of control; they start chirping and [getting] penalties and things like that. It’s really about playing football the right way and it’s good to have all that emotion and energy into it as long as you channel it in the correct direction.”

This game isn’t just about kicking off the season or about the lights; it’s also about remembering the sacrifices of those brothers who came before us. Earlier this year, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane Barnes ’07 passed away in a tragic helicopter accident while serving in the U.S. Army. The field will be dedicated to him, in memory of his service to our community and to the country.

For Coach Isaac, the memorial puts into perspective the long-lasting legacy of sports at Jesuit, and how current athletes should carry that legacy with pride.

“We’re always playing for the guys that have come before us and the kids that are coming up after us,” Coach Isaac said. “This place is special to a lot of people and when you put that Jesuit jersey on, no matter what sport you’re playing, you should understand you’re putting on the jersey of 12,000 plus other guys that graduated before you, so they should be carrying that in their hearts as they play whatever sport it is.”

The forward momentum for this year’s football team starts here on Friday night, under the lights. Tickets are available now on the Jesuit website; let’s make this a game to remember.