In a diverse community with as many schools as the Miss-Lou has, amazingly one thing seems to tie them all together &8212; a love of football.

Yes, the magic of high school football comes alive each Friday night during this time of the year. But the impact of football is felt long before the opening coin toss.

Sports competition helps define our collective identity. Good-natured ribbing from one school to another helps bring disparate groups together around a common bond.

Coaches and players will tell you the athletes learn lessons of teamwork, personal determination and perseverance that often cannot be taught in a classroom.

Once learned, those life lessons are engrained forever.

In addition to the lessons learned by athletes, the ancillary features of a football game are also keys. From the crowd, cheerleader squads and the marching bands each in their own way helps turn a simple sporting event to a pastime passion that unites young and old, rich and poor.

Football is not the most important thing in life, but it illustrates just how much passion, excitement and community involvement is possible when individuals unite behind a singular cause.

Our only wish is that all of the energy focused on football would be replicated when it comes time to talk about curriculum, teacher effectiveness, graduation rates and other important educational topics. When that day comes, the entire community will be champions.