Opening weekend of college football.  What more is there to say?  It’s what fans and students and everyone around the country has been waiting for for nearly 8 months now.  Fans have been waiting to see whether Alabama can repeat this year.  Can Tim Tebow be replaced at Florida, or Colt McCoy at Texas?  But in Sioux City the focus isn’t the Gator’s or the Longhorns, it’s the Morningside Mustangs.  After falling to Sioux Falls in the Quarterfinals last year, many fans wonder what will this year bring for the Mustangs?  As the leaves begin to change and the weather turns, the anticipation begins to build, and build, and build higher with each day coming closer to the opening kickoff.  Game time isn’t until 7 P.M., the only night game on the Mustang’s schedule, but the most dedicated of fans are already tailgating at 1.  The hot dogs and brats are being fired up on the grills.  The pop and beer are flowing and doing their best to satisfy the best of fans until the opening kickoff.  Footballs are being tossed around on a perfectly clear day.  No breeze, no clouds, temperature close to 70 degrees, how can things get any better people ask.  The parking lot is starting to fill up and its only 3 o’clock, cars are jam-packed in the stadium lot already, now the tennis court is starting to fill up and people are firing up their grills from over there now.  Doane’s football team arrives around 3 and immediately files off the bus and head straight to Elwood Olsen Stadium to start warming up.

On August 16, 2005, Morningside College renamed Roberts Stadium as Elwood Olsen Stadium in honor of Elwood Olsen, a Morningside alum, who was the vice president of business at Morningside for 30 years. A partnership between Morningside College and the Sioux City Community School District was formed in May of 2004 and over 2.6 million dollars in renovations was dedicated to the stadium and turned it into one of the finest facilities in the state of Iowa.  Morningside is not the only team to play in this fantastic facility, several other local high schools’ share the stadium and enjoy the luxuries of having a college field for home football and track events.

Walking the turf field, the players realize just how fast the field is going to be.  Quarterbacks are trying to get a feel for how the wind is going to be blowing when the sun goes down and the lights are stroked on.  Running backs and receivers are trying to get a feel for the turf and trying to keep their feet under them when making sharp cuts on their routes.  By 5 o’clock, all parking lots are full, the streets are filling up and everybody is tailgating their food favorites.  Morningside players are fully dressed and stretching out by 5:30.  As game time comes closer and closer, the intensity and anxiety for the season to start keeps rising.  Fans are filing into the stadium by 6 and grabbing their popcorn and hotdogs to keep them satisfied till half time.  Players on both sides are shaking hands and putting their hands to their chests for a rousing national anthem by the inspiring Morningside band team.  7 o’clock, ball is kicked off and sent booming to the end zone, the fans go nuts and the atmosphere is electric.  It’s football season again.



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