DADE CITY – Firing the cannon after a Pirate touchdown is a unique tradition at W.F. Edwards Stadium, and one that the Pasco football team hopes to hear a lot next season.
One man who may enjoy the cannon’s blast more than anyone is Eugene Walker, the cannon’s operator.
“There’s just nothin’ quite like firing that cannon into the night sky after a Pasco touchdown. Sure, I’m happy that the team scored, but I’m really excited ‘cuz I get to see them unsuspecting young ladies in the crowd piss their britches when they hear that cannon go off,” Walker said. “These young girls aren’t payin’ attention to the game, just sittin’ around takin’ selfies and whatnot, so I always get a kick out of hearing them shriek after I fire the cannon.”
If Pasco’s offense is as productive as they were during Wednesday’s 53-41 victory over Wiregrass in the spring game, Walker should have plenty of opportunities to strike fear into young fan’s hearts this upcoming season.
But for how long will Pasco High School be allowed to use their iconic cannon at football games?
The Kumquat has learned from a very reliable source within the school administration that PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has filed a complaint against on the school’s athletic department. PETA claims that the cannon is in direct violation of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918 which states that any artillery, whether real or model, shall not be fired near a bird’s migratory route path.
The written complaint from PETA states that Dade City is within the Atlantic Flyaway route that is used by several North American waterfowl that make their way up the Atlantic Coast each year.
This is potentially devastating news for the school, the football program, and for operator Eugene Walker, who have become accustomed to providing thunderous echoes of cannon fire on Friday evenings.
Pasco High School has declined to comment on the complaint at this time.