BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Varsity football returned Friday night following the deadly shooting at Independence High School, with new safety guidelines in place at stadiums across the area.
The Liberty Patriots played on their home field against the Menlo-Atherton Bears. For many fans, it looked and sounded like any other Friday night under the lights — but one week after the shooting, safety was clearly top of mind.
New security measures were in place, including a police presence and additional security at the stadium. Students had their school IDs checked at the entrance, and bags were searched.
For some students, the extra precautions helped, but didn't erase the fear.
"A lot of our friends, like, don't even want to go to the games anymore just because of like the risk now," William Grajeda, a student at BCHS, said.
"With the schools upping their security now at games, it's like, scary," Grajeda said.
Others said the added precautions made them feel more comfortable returning.
"It's obvious there's more law enforcement. They were peeking at us when we came in, so I think they should, they should feel safe and confident to come and have a good time on Friday night football," Niki Reyes, a teacher at Liberty High School, said.
Crowd turnout was strong, with the stands filled and fans cheering on their teams.
"Looks like they had a little extra security and police presence out front, but I feel like as a whole, Bakersfield is a pretty safe city and I feel pretty safe here," spectator Matthew Hudson Deford said.
"The reason we're out here is because we want to have fun, you know? No matter what happens, we're just trying to make the best out of it," Grajeda said.
A week after a deadly shooting shook the high school football community, fans returned to the stands, determined to keep Friday night football a part of their community.
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