Elk Grove High School football players practice outside the stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 20. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

Pressure, Elk Grove High School athletic director Kirk Macnider said, can either burst pipes or make diamonds.

Obviously the goal is the latter, even in one of the first big events on the athletic calendar — the football home opener.

Elk Grove hosts Maine West at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Before the Grenadiers’ Bart Mazur kicks off or Maurion Smith, Ryan Tanner or Santiago Myles returns the kickoff, pressure is on to check multiple boxes.

“There’s a lot a facets that go into a home opener,” said Macnider, Elk Grove’s first full-time athletic director, in his fourth year. He’s also the Mid-Suburban League’s football chair.

Preparations consist of the obvious — contact

See Full Page