By Zach Kolker

The dome-like tunnel that you’re in fills with fog. You can hear the roaring crowd from outside. You stand shoulder to shoulder with your 32 teammates dressed in maroon and white. Adrenaline courses through your veins. All of a sudden there’s a push forward and you charge out the front of the tunnel. This is what the Mount Vernon football team will be experiencing before each home game this year as players charge through an enormous inflatable helmet.

The helmet was bigger than the team had expected. It can hold the whole varsity squad without any trouble.

During their first game with the inflatable helmet they seemed to play better then they have in the past two games. “It’s nice to have some privacy with the guys right before you come out,” said junior quarterback Drew Adams. According to Adams there was a different energy heading into the game against Camanche, where the helmet made its debut. He said it helped to be excited about the game and running through the tunnel, it felt like they had a positive attitude towards the game.

Adams says that the tunnel is also used as an intimidation tactic. “With the fog seeping out in front of the helmet you can’t see inside it and the opposing team doesn’t know what will run out of the face mask.”

 What: Football game vs. Northeast Goose Lake

 When: Friday, September 23 7:30 p.m.

 Where: Northeast Goose Lake