Local Concession Stands Serving Up School Spirit
For hungry football fans, the concession stand offers more than just salty snacks and sweet treats. The concession stand stars – all of the hard-working volunteers behind the counter – serve up big smiles, bigger laughs, and a whole lot of school spirit. Here, we spoke with local concessionaires to get the inside scoop about their most memorable experiences in the stand.
(First Image) Left to Right: Savannah King, Kelli Angel Toney, Anastasia Burton, Kennedy King, and Mecole King; (Second Image) Chris Jones
At Boyd-Buchanan, the concessions team is all about teamwork and creating a great food experience for the fans. With over five years of volunteer experience, Chris Jones spoke with us about what keeps the Buccaneers sailing smooth on game day.
I volunteered to help out some friends grilling burgers for football games, and that led to a Friday night tradition. Being in the food service industry, I was able to bring some food-safety knowledge and better use of our equipment to make our concession stand work smoother.
We recently had bushes that were overgrown near our grill, and the grill had a large flame that caught them on fire. Needless to say, those bushes are now gone, and we have updated our grilling area.
Charbroiled fresh-ground chuck all-beef burgers and all-beef hot dogs.
Our burger seasoning.
Just serving others and especially seeing the little kids smile when they get what they want. Our concession stand is located by the entrance, so it’s also great to welcome everyone and “ketch-up.”
(First Image) Left to Right: Alan Hix, Mike Cleghorn, Amber Cleghorn, Tim Rayburn, Ginny Rayburn, and DeAnn Thompson
The Rambler Pit Stop at LaFayette High School knows how to rev up for game day. As a representative of the concessions team, we spoke with 10-year volunteer Ginny Rayburn to find out what takes the Ramblers’ concession stand game to the next level.
A great friend suggested I would be good for the program. My oldest son was starting high school then and playing football, so I thought it was a great way to be involved.
Picklesicles are pretty weird to me. We freeze pickle juice in little cups, and the kids love them!
Sometimes my bestie Amber makes slices of coconut cake, which are great!
My family and I love football, so just getting to be a little part of the Friday night lights is great! I have a great team to work with, and I love seeing past students come to games with their new families.
We always just have so much fun with our volunteers. Every home football game we ask community groups, clubs, and churches to volunteer in the stand, so it’s like working with your family! We also have TVs in the concession stand, so we can watch the game while we work. It’s always a great vibe!
Pictured from Left to Right: Melissa Grimes, Kris Cobb, Lisa Kirby, and Casey Nichols
Not Pictured: Laura Brown, Lynette Sluder, Christy Gilley, and Tammy Womac
The Panthers at Sale Creek High School go on the prowl for great food and fun on game day. Going on five years of volunteering, Kris Cobb spoke with us about how the committed and resilient concessions team makes the most of every moment.
Nothing like game nights when we’ve got the amazing smell of great food in the air, and it’s finally “go time!” I love rolling that window up and seeing there’s already a line waiting! That always means we’re gonna make some money, and our kids are winning! (Regardless of the ending score.) Those kids are the reason we do everything we do, and they absolutely deserve it!!
Loaded pulled-pork nachos and pinto beans and cornbread. Country food always sells, and you don’t have to do a fancy presentation. We also have a pretty special banana pudding recipe that our fans LOVE and have come to look forward to!
If we’ve got it and you wanna pay for it … no order is too weird.
Impossible to pick just one … but it’s always crazy hilarious to me to see so many parents (mostly first-time workers of the big popcorn poppers) having so much anxiety over popping popcorn! I will say though, the popcorn-popping duties sometimes go nonstop, well into the 3rd quarter, before it really slows down. Maybe that is a bit traumatic, lol!
Obviously, there are A LOT of moving parts to a great football program. It’s a lot, but always fun! I’m very blessed with a small circle of “ride or die” parents who I can always count on. We know the mission, and we make it happen!
Pictured from Left to Right: Gena Ellis, Tammy Lawrence, and Julie Prescott
Big school spirit and community-focused fun are stand-out qualities at the McCallie Concession Stand. Here, eight-year volunteer Gena Ellis shares more about what keeps the Blue Tornados spinning during the game day rush.
My first involvement with the concession stand was the Baylor-McCallie game in 2016. I was especially excited because it was my first Baylor-McCallie game at McCallie. Many of the previous games were held at Finley Stadium. The atmosphere at this game was electric.
Last year’s Baylor-McCallie is front of mind for me. It was jam-packed. I became the “popcorn lady.” We had to establish an assembly line for popcorn. Someone would cut the back with the oil and popcorn. I would put it in the kettle. We would wait for seemingly hours before it started popping. It was 90 minutes of cooking popcorn before we could slow down.
The weirdest order to me is the Walking Taco. It consists
of Doritos, chili, cheese, and jalapeños in any combination. All of the ingredients are placed in the Doritos bag.
I often volunteer at the concession stand in the 2nd half of football games. My most memorable fan experience is gauging what’s happening with the football game based on the fan reactions. The “OOOOs,” “AHHHHHs,” and “GO BIG BLUE!!!!!”
I love the fireworks after McCallie wins versus Baylor on our home turf.
Pictured from Left to Right: Lynn Hoover, Tiffany Newberry, Scott Sanders, Mary Beth Sanders, Sarah Stiner, and Michelle Patrick
At the Silverdale Concession Stand, game day means it’s time for the Seahawks to swoop in for snacks. We spoke with Michelle Patrick, the concessions team’s coordinator of seven years, to learn more about how the concessions team brings its A-game every time.
The excitement of the crowd. Lynn, our football game-day coordinator, and her team bring so much enthusiasm to the stand. You never know whether you will hear some oldies playing or be asked to give them a performance based on the song playing. We have a long-standing volunteer, Scott, our “grill master” on Friday nights, grilling up hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and occasionally his special chicken wings.
If you order nachos on a Friday night, you will hear a great big yell of “NACHOS” from the window … what started as a way to tell those in the back what they needed turned into a fun tradition for our workers!
On some Friday nights, you can sneak around the corner to see Scott, and he might have a chicken wing to share or some grilled onions to add to your brat.
One year, during a rain delay, our concessions crew turned the playlist to all rain-themed songs and did karaoke to entertain those around us. It was quite funny!
The Friday night concessions volunteers make our concessions what it is. They have fun despite the sweltering heat and aim to serve the Lord by serving our fans. Most of them are consistent every week, and it makes the concession stand a fun place to be!
Pictured: Lena Levendoski
Not Pictured: Maggie Corey
The Red Raiders at Baylor School know how to stand out in the crowd on game day. Here, five-year volunteer coordinator Maggie Corey shares more about the generosity and community atmosphere at the Baylor concession stand.
One of my favorites is when we hosted the Baylor-McCallie game in 2022. I went to the visitor’s side to check on the volunteers, and when I poked my head in, one of our administrators was scooping popcorn. It had gotten so busy that it was all hands on deck, and this really displayed the community atmosphere we focus on at Baylor.
We always try to have a novelty item – like fun popsicles or Chick-fil-A!
Incredibly generous volunteers.
Whenever it’s a crowded game, there’s always someone trying to get to the front of the line.
Our goal is to help provide a fun volunteer experience where people want to continue to support Baylor in
all aspects.
Pictured from Left to Right: Joe Houser, Bill Leonard, Blythe Houser, Tom Blewett, Catherine Payne, Emily Cooper, Brian Eades and Nancy Tryon
Signal Mountain High School’s concessions team is known for its dedication to sweet treats and making memories. Representatives of the team, Catherine Payne and Emily Cooper, share more about what makes the Eagles flock to the concession stand on Friday nights.
The kids buying and sharing drinks and candy with their friends or loaning them money when they are short a dollar is heartwarming. We have witnessed our administration do the same for several students (even from rival teams), and it is so sweet seeing them help each other!
Kids love all things sugar and candy; Airhead Xtremes, Skittles, and Push Pops are the most popular! Football dads grill hamburgers before the games, and we offer fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion as toppings. Many of the tomatoes are homegrown by our own football players’ parents and grandparents.
Ace Hardware on Signal Mountain has donated the popcorn for many years, and it is delicious!
We love seeing all the students in their element – from the football players to the band, fans, cheerleaders, and color guard members. The best is seeing students with whom your children grew up and went to preschool or elementary school. We always leave the stadium on Friday nights with a feeling of gratitude for the wonderful volunteers, our school, and our community.
Friday nights could not happen without our Lions Club volunteers. Many of the Lions have grown children who played, cheered, or were band members and now have grandchildren in the programs. These volunteers work hard and have a great time serving! They have nicknames for each other such as “The Kernel,” who oversees the popcorn, and the “Nacho Man,” taken from YMCA’s Macho Man, who fulfills customers’ nacho orders.
Pictured from Left to Right: Ken Livingston, Brenda Livingston, Ted Ledwell, Emma Ledwell, Tommy Reese, and Ronnie Bull
The Red Bank Lions truly take pride in their concession stand. Here, we spoke with Tommy Reese, a volunteer of 25 years, to learn more about all of the fun, laughter, and loyal school spirit that makes this concession stand a roaring good time.
I worked cooking hamburgers at the Dixie Youth Baseball fields right next to the high school, so it seemed a natural fit to move over a field and begin cooking on Friday nights. Prior to doing this, I helped keep the stats during the latter part of Coach Weathers’ tenure.
Our team is dependable, loyal, and fun. You know if it’s a home game you are going to see the Ledwells, the Bulls, the Livingstons, and me serving food to our visitors. All of us feel a deep loyalty to RBHS. All of our children are graduates, and we have a deep love for this community and school. There’s never a night where we don’t go home tired, but we’ve also laughed and enjoyed our time together.
A few years ago, we hosted a game against South Pittsburg. We sold out every single item and never played one down of football. The game was eventually postponed due to lightning.
Our “Tommy dogs” are a favorite of the crowd. They are sprinkled with garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and rolled in the hamburger grease.
One night, Dr. Jesse Register, former school superintendent, was helping in the concession stand. He filled a person’s order and the guy asked, “Am I supposed to know you?” Dr. Register smiled and replied, “I don’t think so!” After they left, we all had a good laugh over that.
