It was like stepping back in time at Cowboy Stadium Friday night. Loyal Cowboys fans started to gather at 5 p.m. for the Cowboy tailgate party in front of the stadium. A rock band was playing, smoked barbecue filled the air triggering an immediate salivation response, faces were painted, and red, white and black balloons dotted the landscape — it was a sight not seen in recent memory.

By 6 p.m. fans were piling into the stadium, and when the sound booth opened a line immediately formed with announcements and requests. The look of the field was nostalgic. The Grantsville “G” was brilliantly painted at mid-field and the lines glimmered in NFL white. Yes, I said NFL white. The Cowboys use the same paint found in practically every NFL and collegiate stadium in the country still sporting turf. That’s just one of the reasons why the Cowboy field looks so good. The others are the field’s tender care during the off-season by head coach Tony Cloward and the skills of masterful painters like Jeff Killpack. It’s a team effort, as it should be.

With the flags and balloons a flying, burgers sizzling in the Chuck Wagon, and every booth imaginable along the Cowboy Walk, there was another indication of old times returned. Next to the flag pole a new Grantsville “G” monument stood prominently next to the student body officers who proudly lit the “G” for the first time in years. The flag was also illuminated by a new light adding to the nostalgic ambiance of the stadium.

And last but not least, the football team itself — clad in Grantsville Red, White and Grey — they were a little smaller than usual and fewer in number, but they made up for it in speed and heart. This is our team, and we stand by their efforts, which are molded by Cowboy Pride and hard work. And yes, sports fans that was the split veer in full form Friday night. As Coach Boone said in the movie “Remember the Titans,” “the split veer is like Novocaine — just give it time — it always works.”

A lot has been said about the Stansbury Stallions, rivalries and all the other hyperbole and mumbo-jumbo found in the press and in gossip corners. The Stallions represent the new school in the county and they deserve the attention and we wish them well. Our family and friends play there, and GHS alumni coach and teach there. We want them to perform well and we want them to be successful.

However, you can be for sure and for certain, Grantsville High School football isn’t about the new kids on the block; it’s about the kids in our community and the kids in our school. Those special Cowboy kids that turned out in droves to cheer on their team to victory Friday night beating the North Sanpete Hawks 20-7. From the rousing performances of the Cowboy cheerleaders, the dancing Larietts and graceful color guard to our musically gifted Cowboy Marching Band, the “DeLorean” was firing on all cylinders, transporting GHS back to the small town feel and into the future full of Cowboy pride.

Heck, even the Cowboy Club is back and better than ever, donating time and money to support the Cowboys. It has been years since Cowboy boosters have been in such numbers and have been supercharged to raise funds and services for the team, and that is exactly what GHS needed. The team is only as good as its boosters, fans and community that support them, and by the look of it, things have come full circle and GHS is back to its old days and its old ways.

Expect more of the same next Friday night when the Cowboys take on the Millard Eagles at Cowboy Stadium at 7 p.m., but if you wait till then you’ll miss the party. The festivities start at 5 p.m. before each and every home game and everyone is invited. So if you’re hanging your head and still complaining, stop it, and take a good look around — Cowboy football and hometown pride is back and the future looks brighter than ever — even from the sideline. Go Cowboys!