Following two incredible away performances by the Owls, the lights over Stokes-Alston Stadium shone through the cloudy skies for the first Friday night game of the year.
On September 5, students and fans alike returned to Hull-Dobbs field at Stokes-Alston Stadium for the Owls’ first home game of the 2025-26 season versus Kirby; the matchup pitted the undefeated Owls squad against the 1-1 Cougars. Having defeated Bartlett in a nail-biting season opener and shutout Northpoint Christian 38-0, the Owl football team stormed ahead into last week’s game, ending in a commanding 48-16 victory.
The victory of the home opener was preceded by a slew of festivities, marking an exciting start to Friday nights at 6191 Park Avenue.
Despite battling poor weather, the MUS student council rose to the occasion and organized a large pregame tailgate featuring local business Mempops and food grills; donut eating competitions and dunk tanks lined the grass beside Gearhardt Field, where hundreds of students and families gathered and socialized, making the most of the lightning and weather delays.
Senior Will Fortas, organizer of the tailgate and the 2025-26 student council president, spoke highly of his cabinet and their work that evening. “There’s nothing better than seeing the Owls back at Stokes-Alston. It was great to be back home for some football. The turnout was amazing, and the energy was booming.”
At 6:45 p.m. swaths of red and blue crowded the narrow lane underneath the home side of the stadium. Led by Head Coach Mark Chubb and drummer Sohum Verma ’26, the varsity football Owls marched down the ceremonial Owl Walk, signifying the beginning of a dominant night for MUS football.
Despite a slow first quarter, the Owls put up 49 points on the Cougars, boasting 189 net rushing yards and 230 net passing yards.
Quarterbacks Price Renovich ’28 and Maddox Giel ’26 performed well in the backfield, completing 14/22 pass attempts for a 63.6% completion rate. Renovich had a standout game, singlehandedly throwing for 174 yards and three touchdowns.
Junior Foster Flaherty led the Owls in touchdown receptions, with two on the night. Tommie Reed ’28, Gray Gowen ’27, Price Renovich and Jackson Hood ’26 all rushed for one touchdown respectively. A dominating Owl defense held Kirby to only 16 points.
In the stands, the Owl fans–decked out in USA-themed gear–were fired up to be back.
“The home atmosphere on Friday’s game was electric, and I believe it is what helped us lock in on the field after our bad start to the game,” was what senior Devin Wells, defensive lineman and team captain, responded when asked about the atmosphere of his first home game of his season. He was complimentary of both the student body and leadership. “[The football team] hopes that every future home game is like that, and we just want to say thank you to all the fans who came to support.”
The Owls now turn to practice and prepare for their first game of region play against Lipscomb Academy on September 12.
