For many Rocklin High School (RHS) students, the fall was the most enjoyable time of the year due to the start of the National Football League (NFL) and Fantasy Football. At RHS, Fantasy Football wasn’t simply a game, it was a tradition that took over a multitude of friend groups throughout campus. Friends could come together or be torn apart, yet Fantasy Football was still something people came back to every year.

Fantasy Football was a game played among a group of people where teams consisting of NFL players were all put onto the same fantasy team. Depending on how these players performed in their games, they earned points to add to the fantasy team’s total. Whoever accumulated the most points by the final game of the week won. In each fantasy league, a culture was built, rivalries were made, and competition was encouraged. Draft night, where fantasy teams were assembled, was one of the most anticipated nights of the year. Having complete control of selecting a team and choosing what to do with the team was what made Fantasy Football special. It was a night where people spent time with friends and grew a close bond. However, relationships could be altered when rewards and punishments were introduced.

Choosing the draft order could go two different ways. Some leagues went with a random draft order while others preferred to play a game to determine the order. Playing a game beforehand

increased the competition before the true game even began. RHS senior Shane Nelson described the advantage of selecting by the “idea of how [he] was going to set up my draft based on [his]

position.” Senior Kunjan Devkota’s league decided to play poker, which “added excitement and made it more memorable.”Devkota enjoyed seeing his friends make questionable decisions that eventually led him to win poker and draft first. But poker was just one of the many ways to decide draft order. Games such as timed relays or different tournaments also rallied members and brought out the best of draft night. These activities increased strategy and autonomy by not having the order be random. ESPN and Yahoo also gave out draft grades, which were always funny to reflect on.

Draft Night creates a sense of camaraderie and friendship that is hard to find elsewhere – Cayden Ochoa

There were many reasons why RHS students played Fantasy Football. Motivations varied: some people were peer-pressured by their friends to join a league, while for others the main motive was social interaction or monetary gain. So while the reasons at the start were variable, one thing was for sure. By the end, everyone enjoyed the experience and hoped to play again the next year.

It was a thrilling, interactive activity with friends. Senior Cayden Ochoa said, “It connect[ed] [me] with my friends day in and day out.”

According to a study by Civic Science, there are a multitude of reasons why people played Fantasy Football. The most common reason was having fun with friends. At Rocklin, the reasons to play could be summarized into three main points: the love of the game, the chance to bond with people in the league, and having an extra way to enjoy watching the NFL.

Nelson said, “Fantasy allow[ed] [him] to connect with [his] friends and create memories.”

Fantasy doesn’t just bond students; it bonds teachers as well. At RHS, there is a teacher fantasy league that has been going on for several years. Fantasy Football isn’t just for the youth, it brings out the competitive streak in anyone who enjoys football.

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Too Hot to Handle

Senior Trey Joyce lost in the playoffs in his league and had to take a bite of a Dave’s reaper wing. It took mere seconds for the spice to kick him and for Joyce to begin to regret his drafting

decisions. In less than a minute his eyes began to swell up and he began crying. Drinking water did not help and made it the longest ten minutes of his life.

It felt like I got punched in the throat

– Trey Joyce

Most leagues at Rocklin have punishments. They can vary in type and how brutal they are. From a milk mile to deciding outfits for a week; punishments are something people absolutely want to avoid.