Forty miles northeast of Austin, Texas, in the town of Thrall (population 898), Friday night football begins with a ritual. As the local crowd waits for the Tigers to take to the field, a Thrall high school student ascends the stairs of the metal bleachers to the press box, and leads everybody in a prayer. As the student starts praying, farmers remove their hats, some people close their eyes, and small children are hushed. When the student finishes, a murmured “amen” ripples through the crowd.

This pregame prayer has been happening for as long as anyone can remember—and will continue without a hitch next fall when football season resumes, despite the fact that on January 31, Thrall’s school board voted unanimously not to introduce time for prayer into the school day.