MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.— High school football season kicked off across the state Friday. Opening Night for Menomonee Falls football would typically be a bit louder. Kicking off mid-pandemic, the high school aimed for a much smaller crowd than usual.

According to the WIAA, about two-thirds of Wisconsin high schools chose to play a seven-game fall football season, while about 120 elected to compete next spring. Most programs that hosted games Friday took steps with hopes of preventing any spread of COVID-19. At Menomonee Falls, players got just two tickets for Friday’s game against Brookfield Central. Fans were asked to spread out and wear masks in common areas, though not everyone did. There was a student section, just not in the Schumann Stadium bleachers.

Seniors Grace Heitman and Joe Lynch fired up grills in the parking lot beyond the south endzone for a senior tailgate. Principal Bob Vitale contacted a handful of seniors and offered the space for students to watch from a distance as long as they followed mask and distancing guidelines.

On the field, it was a game to remember for the Redding family. Junior Evan Redding scored a pair of long touchdowns in the first half, including a catch and run down the sideline he celebrated in the endzone with his brother Quentin.

“It was great to be out here, battling for my brothers on Senior Night - my own brother, actually,” Evan Redding said. “It was just a great feeling because no week is guaranteed, so being able to just come out here and ball out, it was fantastic.”

This was a game the Reddings will tell stories about for years. With Falls trailing 14-13 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Nate McLean looked Quentin’s way on a long fourth-down pass. The senior receiver sprinted down the sideline to make the catch and scored the go-ahead touchdown. And when the Phoenix needed one last big play, Quentin came down with Brookfield Central’s onside kick attempt to seal the 21-20 season-opening win.

Quentin says he has a special bond with his brother, and he’s thankful to share the field with him as long as he can.

“It’s awesome because this might be the last chance we ever get,” Quentin Redding said. “I love playing with him. I love when he makes big plays. There’s nothing like it in the world.”

Though most people in Menomonee Falls could not be there in person, a few hundred people watched the game live on YouTube. Those online viewers, the fans in the stands and the ones outside the fence looking in all saw a memorable ballgame on Opening Night.