By Audrey Chambers, Contributing Writer
On Saturday, Sept. 12, Gettysburg College’s first tailgate of the season took place prior to the first home game of the season. The event drew in many students and community members to support the Bullets Football team. Several families gathered on the grass outside of Musselman Stadium and set up tents with chairs, TVs and grills. 
Dana Dickerson, the parent of a senior student on the Bullets Football team, commented on the event. “It’s been great getting to know the other parents and building a community around the team,” she said.
(Photo: Yitzchak Ingram/ The Gettysburgian)
Not only did parents of players attend the tailgate, but many other Gettysburg College students did also. First-year student, Asher Robson, described the tailgate saying, “It’s super wholesome to see other students here ready to support their peers.” Asher said she “will definitely be coming to more games and events in the future.”
Desi Flores, a senior working the check-in tent described her experiences with the tailgates saying, “I like working the tailgate and seeing how some of the current students and family come together to support the players and the team.”
Gettysburg had led Washington and Lee 16-7 into the third quarter, and then gave up 20 points in the fourth, losing with a final score of 27-23.
New head coach Michael Green commented on the loss.
(Photo: The Gettysburgian/Yitzchak Ingram)
“Our team has significantly improved in their effort, focus, and toughness in competition… Although we didn’t get the win, I was proud to walk off the field knowing we left it all out there. We need to continue to clean up the details of our game, including aligning properly and being crisp with the nuances of our assignments.
“We believed from the kickoff to the last whistle that we were going to win the game. The biggest turning point was the final W&L [Washington and Lee] drive that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown.
“The team has a stronger belief than ever that we can beat anyone we line up against. There’s strong accountability from our leadership and an appreciation for the hard work that we put in every day. I am pleased with the growth we’ve made since taking over the program and proud of the way our team has competed. At the same time, we get to continue to grow and have not hit our playing potential yet. Saturday was an exciting atmosphere for the entire Gettysburg College community. We look forward to matching that energy in the next five home games to come,” said Green.
Senior offensive lineman Casey Cavanaugh also shared his thoughts after the game.
“The coaches have done a really good job of establishing a standard and a culture that the team has completely bought into. We all hold each other accountable and to a really high standard.
“What we’re still working on is playing a full 60 minutes and learning how to deal with success. We were just one play away and didn’t finish. And as an offense, we have to convert those first three field goals into touchdowns.
“That one [game against Washington and Lee] definitely hurt and did not feel like we played our best game, but the team is even hungrier for next week,” he commented.
(Photo: Yitzchak Ingram/The Gettysburgian)
