Matthew Stewart reaches for a pass. Not much went right for the Jets.

The atmosphere at Madison City Schools Stadium Friday night resembled a college game as many fans for both high schools tailgated until the last minute before hurrying to get into the jam-packed stadium.

The Patriots of Bob Jones gave their crowd reason to cheer from start to finish. It was 44-0 at halftime and 72-0 at the end. The Patriots fans, who packed the visiting stands and came dressed in red, enjoyed every bit of it and stayed until the end.

“I get really pumped when there is a big crowd here. If its not crowded, it get boring,” said Bob Jones senior cheerleader Ashley Acker.

There were politicians on hand for the event and the coin toss featured an Army general and a congressman. The coaches and administrators down played the rivalry aspects of the first game. There were signs of cooperation between the bands and a food drive by the cheerleaders.

The Bob Jones students had fun with signs to send a message to the new high school. Some read “No Fly Zone” and telling the Jets “Your flight has been cancelled.”

Jets fans turned out to support their team but didn’t have much to cheer about. The crowd estimated at 7,000 filled both sides and three sets of temporary bleachers in the south end zone.