More than a pre-game

Athletes have been carb loading in some fashion since athletes in ancient Greece pounded back pita and fresh figs. Watching a high school football team do it in the span of, say, 20 minutes is a sport worth watching all on its own. And providing fuel for the kids might be the least of it.

Before we set that scene—played to a tee by the Oakdale Varsity Bears in Frederick, Maryland—a bit of background: From August through post-season play in December, pre-game and game-day team meals take place across the country, especially in places where football serves as cultural glue.