Bright lights flooded the Earl Hansen Viking Stadium at Palo Alto High School as students and parents filed into the arena. On the track, seniors posed for pictures with family and friends while holding up handmade signs as teammates embraced each other tightly, marking the end of another era. In the stands, the Paly Pep Band’s lively anthem music accompanied the varsity dance and cheer teams for the final home football game of the 2025 season.
This year’s varsity football Senior Night on Oct. 24 featured Paly playing against Menlo-Atherton High School, which was preceded by a ceremony celebrating seniors from football, band, cheer and dance. The Vikings entered the game still seeking their first win of the season, but lost 14 to 41 when the game ended abruptly with 1:45 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Menlo-Atherton player was injured.
Despite the loss in the final home match of his high school career, Paly senior and varsity defensive end Dominic Hernandez said he had no regrets regarding the outcome.
“I’m pretty proud of myself,” Hernandez said. “I gave it all that I had on the field, and at the end of the day, I’m satisfied with my work here over the past four years.”
Senior and varsity dancer Keira Mok felt bittersweet about her last performance at a Paly football game.
“I’m really grateful for all the time I’ve had on the dance team,” Mok said. “Even though it ended kind of weird, it was fun to just dance with all my teammates one last time on the field. We still have a spring show coming up in May of next year, so I’ll get to dance with them for the very last time then.”
For senior and varsity center Danny Khan, the game was a chance to reflect on his time with Paly football.
“I was pretty emotional because I was able to reflect on the four years I proudly played in the Earl Hansen Viking Stadium in front of all my friends and family,” Khan said. “I will forever be proud of my teammates because I know that they tried their best and fought to the very end, and I’m so glad that I was able to fight alongside them.”
Additional reporting by Kensie Pao
