Mayfield Week for Paducah Tilghman High School is a long-lived tradition that students and their families look forward to every year. Students get to dress in funny costumes during the week, participate in annual bike rides, get excited for pep-rallies, decorate the hallways, and most importantly, cheer on the Tilghman Tornadoes. This week is every student’s favorite, especially when Tilghman beats the Mayfield Cardinals after 17 long years, and students have a lot to say:

Cameron Dempsey says, “Mayfield week for me was fun in many different ways. We got to make posters for our starting varsity players to hang in the hallways at Tilghman. We made the English hallway a graveyard that had string hanging from the ceilings, had smoke machines, and had props all over the hallway. We created paper tombstones for the starting varsity players on mayfield as well. Tilghman does this every year the day before the Mayfield Vs. Tilghman game, we all gather outside around Mr. Mayfield and set him on fire! Mayfield players came to our school to walk though the hallways as a pep rally. Bikers from Tilghman will leave early in the morning to bike all the way to Mayfield High School the day before the game. They walk to the hallways of Mayfield High School and see all the posters and banners hung up in their hallways. Later in the day, about the same time as the burning as Mr. Mayfield, they return from the bike ride. My favorite thing about Mayfield week is the hype that is all built up together throughout the school. Mayfield is one of our biggest games ever and to finally beat them after a 17 year streak of losing the game feels really amazing.

Brendan Brown exclaims, “Mayfield week was fun, I really feel like it brought the school closer. It made people actually like school for a week, and I feel like we should do it more often because so many people get excited. My favorite part of mayfield week was when we beat Mayfield because more people started supporting and have something to look forward to on Friday nights. My second favorite part was way back Wednesday.”

Maddie Duwee vocalizes, “The Mayfield vs Tilghman game was ecstatic. The school spirit during the game and throughout the whole week leading up was positively overwhelming. The love seen through students and community members for PTHS is clearly evident during Mayfield week. It was an amazing football game to experience. The massive crowd cheering, the band in the stands, the cheerleaders leading the crowd, and most importantly the players on the field made this event feel whole. My favorite part was storming the field. Having all of my peers celebrating together was an awesome experience I will never forget.”

Lastly, Jo’Kerrian Casey states, “Mayfield week was incredibly exciting. Getting to dress up all week and decorate the hallways was so fun. I’ve never been more anxious watching a game than that one. I’m so proud of the players for pushing through to victory. My favorite part of it all was making senior memories with some of my best friends.”