In tornado aftermath, football helps heal Joplin

The first home football game for Joplin High School since the deadly May 22 tornado brought attention back to the city, including this Associated Press article. Though Hillcrest beat Joplin 21-9, the game was a triumph for the school and the city:

"The first day of school, it was interesting to hear the stories," said Dayton Whitehead, a senior wide receiver who scored the Eagles' lone touchdown Saturday. "At practice, you see construction trucks driving by all the time, and it helps to know that you'll have a football season, just like last year, before anything happened."

Whitehead said there are still cliques like those found at every high school, but the feeling in the hallways has changed. Athletes, artists and everyone in between have been through something they'll never forget.

"You still hang out with the same people you hanged out with," Whitehead said, "but when you see people you didn't know, you kind of try to take into consideration that maybe you should say 'Hi' to them once in a while, because you never know what could happen."