By Alison Anderson, San Marcos Pop Warner Media Coordinator

Mission Hills High School Pop Warner Night in September brought the community and families together for a night of football fun! All the SMPW teams and cheer squads watched the Grizzlies warm up from the end zone, then stayed to help cheer them on to victory.

Knights football players and cheerleaders welcomed their San Marcos Pop Warner counterparts as the sun set and team spirit came out to shine. It was an evening of "Knight spirit" and community building, as younger brothers and sisters dreamed of filling their older siblings’ shoes on a high school team.

Many SMPW players and cheerleaders had brothers and sisters on the field that night. Chad Dobbins, Mission Hills' star running back, on injured reserve that night was seen greeting his little brother in the end zone. Chad was on the 2005 conference champion SMPW Knights football team, and his brother Alex plays for the 2009 SMPW Comets.

Erika Anderson happily hung out with her two brothers and best friend Monica Vetter. Erika was on the 2005 conference champion SMPW Knights cheer squad. Her brother Neil is a freshman who played for SMPW, her younger brother Karl is on the 2009 SMPW Barons.

Both San Marcos high schools sponsor Pop Warner nights every year, and all SMPW members get in for free to support their local high school teams.