Nothing means Fall more than high school football. Of course there is cool crisp air and fall weather. It is leaves falling, harvest, pumpkins, apple picking, and Halloween.  Last year for Halloween, and the previous one as well, Olivia dressed as a Tiger. She came home from her school’s Halloween celebration and did not want to take her costume off.

As luck would have it, that very Friday evening – October 30th – Wheaton-Warrenville South high School, the local high school, had qualified for the Illinois high school football playoffs and were playing at home. We decided to attend and Olivia chose to wear her costume – her Tiger outfit to the game. Wheaton is also known as the Tigers and it was a good match – Olivia and the Tiger outfit.

Wheaton won the game and Olivia was convinced that it was directly related to her wearing the Tiger outfit. She wore her Tiger suit for every game we attended the rest of the season – all the way to the state finals. In the 2009 state finals, Wheaton won – in double overtime and now Olivia is convinced Wheaton cannot win without her dressed as their mascot!

Last night, there was quite a commotion as Olivia prepared for this afternoon’s game. She had grown since last year, but was still able to wear last year’s Tiger suit. She will be wearing it and cheering on the Tigers as they play on ESPN in a packed Grange Field. They play Maine South, last year’s 8A champion while Wheaton is the 7A champion. It should be a good game, but it an even better story. Making the days count – even in a Tiger suit, one day at a time.