Tails of Tailgating

In Central Indiana, tailgating has always been associated with the Indianapolis Colts games in parking lots downtown. Along with the rising popularity of high school football in Indiana, tailgating has emerged, and in some schools, it is as important as the game itself. For several schools rich in football tradition, it has grown in prominence and adds to the fabric of high school football on Friday nights. It would be hard to find a school that takes the pregame ritual more serious than Center Grove High School, where senior Clay Manship and his twin brother Evan have taken their parents minivan and made it the center of attention prior to football games. "It's a 1992 Plymouth Voyager that my parents used as a soccer van," said Clay Manship. "They bought a new car a few years ago, and it just sat outside our house." When the brothers were sophomores, they decided to use the van for tailgating, and now, it's a big part of the pregame gathering. "Two years ago, about ten of us painted in it red and put a Center Grove helmet on it for a hood ornament. We were fortunate enough to get a local audio company as a sponsor. They supplied us with a sound system worth $2,000 complete with digital graphics, and we built a deck and mounted it on the roof. It also has artificial turf on the interior." Manship says that the parents have their own gathering, and the students congregate around the van. "We start right after school," he said. "We normally have over 200 students from freshmen to seniors. Some of the local restaurants provide food, and we play cornhole, ping pong and video games. During Homecoming, the van leads the parade. It's really turned out to be a big event among the students." At Carmel, the parents of the football players have been instrumental in taking their tailgating to another level. Debbie Rouch, co-president of the Carmel Football Parents Club, has seen the ritual grow during the past four years. "I got involved when my son, who is now a senior, was a freshman," she said. "The club's mission is to support the football team from an emotional and financial standpoint. Besides organizing the tailgate parties, we have several fund raisers. We have a great group of supporting parents. Besides Friday nights, we also have tailgating before freshman games on Saturday mornings." Rouch says that the students prefer to have their own tailgate parties. "Generally, the students do their own thing, and our gathering is pretty much an adult event. The kids set up couches, grills and a band. It doesn't hurt when you have a good football team, and it generates plenty of enthusiasm." Tri-West started taking tailgating serious in 2006 when the Tri-West Quarterback Club got involved. Julie Frederick, the president of the club, has seen the event grow during the past two seasons. "We started with a small group of 20 people," she said. "Most of the parents in the club have kids in the graduating class of 2010. Homecoming will bring in about 100 fans. The students are involved, and it's mainly relatives of the players. We have pitch-in meals, and the dads usually do the grilling. We average about 50 people for each game." In addition to home games, Cathedral High School takes its tailgating on the road. When they played at Carmel on opening week in a national televised game on ESPN, the party started at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday for a noon kick-off. "When our fans are making green pancakes six hours before the game, it makes it a big deal," said Ken Barlow, who is the Director for Alumni Affairs at Cathedral. "If the space is available at road games, then we'll tailgate." Cathedral's tailgate entourage consists of decorated buses, mobile homes and the all-important grill set up. "It's an all-inclusive event with the student body and the parents are welcome," Barlow added. "We collaborate with the alumni groups, and former players and parents of players are invited. Homecoming is always our biggest turnout, with extended invitations to all alumni." When Roncalli tailgates, everybody is welcome, including the opposing fans. Mike Wadsworth, one of the organizers, feels that it is important to include everyone who attends the games. "We'll invite fans of the other teams to come over," he said. "Some of the schools felt a little intimidated because it draws so many people, but many of the visitors ask us about starting their own tailgate events." Wadsworth began hosting parties at the grade school level, and he doesn't plan on quitting anytime soon. "We started tailgating when the kids played Catholic Youth Organization football," he said. "All of the kids have played together for so many years, and we'll do this for the rest of our lives. "The first year we did this at Roncalli, we did it out of trailers. Then, we bought two buses and custom painted them black. We purchased chairs, added a surround sound music system and bought tents and grills. The next thing you know, we were feeding 1,500 people and everything moved up a couple notches." Wadsworth says that the food is the main attraction. They've had hog roasts, and the staple food is fried biscuits with apple butter. "It's a feast every week," he said. He also stated that the community atmosphere is what makes it special. "Our kids are out of college, and they still attend the tailgates. The kids really like to see the parents having a good time. The parents not only go to the games to see their kids play, they come for the tailgating. Roncalli has had a lot of success in football, and the parties rally everybody around the program." -