At Pittsburg High School, you don’t have to play a sport to feel like you’re part of the action. All you have to do is show up to a Pirates game, especially football and you’ll understand why our school spirit is something people talk about long after they graduate. The way students, parents, and alumni pack the stands at Pirate Stadium makes every game feel bigger, louder, and honestly more intense than almost any other school in our area. Most high schools say they have “school spirit,” but PHS doesn’t just say it but we show it. You can literally hear it before you even walk into the stadium, the students yelling, the band warming up, the bass from the speakers, and the whole student section dressed in orange and black or whatever theme the game has. Even when the weather is cold or windy the crowd is still huge.
What makes PHS different is that the support doesn’t wait until the team starts winning. People show up from the beginning, ready to hype the players no matter what. The second the team runs onto the field, the crowd goes crazy. And when the defense gets a big stop or the offense scores, the entire stadium reacts at the same time. It honestly feels like the stands shake and it’s not just football. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, and even flag football get love from the school. The difference is that the football games bring together almost the entire community meaning the students, families, younger kids, teachers, security, alumni, and people who just want to see Pittsburg represent. The student section has become a whole thing of its own. Every grade tries to be the loudest, and there’s always that one group of students who start chants before anyone else even knows what’s happening. There’s usually someone waving a big PHS flag, someone with face paint, and at least three people filming everything for Instagram or TikTok and of course you can never forget the band, they’re the reason the stadium never goes quiet.
Another thing that makes it special is how seriously people take the themes. Whether it’s blackout, whiteout, jerseys, neon, or pink-out, the student section actually matches. Seeing hundreds of students all dressed the same makes the whole stadium look unified. It is different compared to schools where only like 10 people participate. Teachers and staff show up too, and it matters more than people think. When students see their teachers cheering alongside them, it makes the school feel closer, like everyone’s on the same team. One teacher said, “Pittsburg games feel like the whole city shows up. You don’t get that everywhere.
At PHS, game nights aren’t just athletic events. They’re a reminder that this school has a community behind it and it is one that’s loud, loyal, and always ready to support its teams. And if you’ve ever been to Pirate Stadium on a Friday night, you already know Pittsburg doesn’t cheer quietly. We show up, we get loud, and we make sure our players feel it.
