New uniforms and quarterback showdown highlight Perryville's midnight scrimmage

Not a lot of things take place in public in Perryville around midnight.

However on one night every August, the stadium lights at Perryville High School create a shine seen around town, and a buzz heard just as far.

The Perryville Pirates continued the tradition of beginning the new football season with the Midnight Game on Saturday, Aug. 17. The team was split between green and white and played in front of fans and fellow students.

“It’s cool to see everybody come out,” Perryville head coach Brent Roth said. “School hasn’t started yet and to get all the kids back out, I think it’s kind of like a way to kick the school year off, to bring everybody back on campus.”

Normally coaches use these scrimmages to run a set of plays and see how it looks against themselves. In this case, Roth went with the flow and just saw how the scrimmage played out.

“Honestly I didn’t even really script anything as far as the game went,” Roth said. “I just kind of felt it and just kind of seeing how things were going. We started doing special teams and then once I was happy with that, we just quit doing that and started going offense and defense jamboree style.”

The Midnight Game was also a chance to debut the new uniforms for the 2024 season. The Pirates will wear black helmets and pants while sporting a home green and road white with a classic striped pattern on the sides and “Perryville” on the front. They also have a black alternate jersey to go with the helmet and pants.

“We had an alumni night where we kind of unveiled the jerseys as well, so I think a lot of people saw them on social media,” Roth said. “There might be people out there that don’t like them but I haven’t heard about it yet. So I think they look awesome. The kids are psyched up about them.”

The main focus of the scrimmage was the quarterback competition between junior Kayd Luckey and senior Evan Hayden. According to Roth, the Midnight Game served as the main audition between the two, and his review of the film will factor into his decision.

Roth has seen differing strengths from both quarterbacks.

“I think Kayd, his legs are a big part of his game because when the play breaks down, he’s able to take off and run,” Roth said. “But Evan’s got a good, strong arm and he’s got quick decisions too, and he does a good job of controlling the offense.”

While caught in a conundrum, Roth feels that there is no wrong decision in picking between the two.

“So it’s a tough decision,” Roth said. “The good thing is they’re both playing well. So we’re pretty set at that position.”

The Pirates have played midnight scrimmage games since Roth was named the head coach in 2021. It has been a hit among the players ever since.

Perryville will take part in a four-team football jamboree hosted by Cape Central on Friday, Aug. 23. The Pirates will begin the regular season at home early on Thursday, Aug. 29, against Fredericktown.