Friday night lights will find Pike Liberal Arts School junior lineman Ty Singleton deep in the trenches of a gridiron battle. On Saturday night, Singleton will be waiting in the chute at the 26th Annual Pike County Cattlemen’s NCPRA Rodeo at Cattleman Park Arena.

Two-sport athletes are rather common but probably few play in such uncommon arenas.

Singleton of Brundidge began rodeoing three years ago. He will compete at the Pike County Cattlemen’s rodeo Saturday night in the team roping event. In addition to team roping, Singleton competes in tie-down calf roping in the Alabama High School Rodeo Association.

Singleton is a two-time qualifier in the National High School Rodeo Finals. In the past two years, Singleton has competed in both of his events in Gilette and Rock Springs, Wyoming.

He also compete for the last two years in the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Singleton said he was hooked on rodeo the first time he participated.

“I caught my steer; I won and I was hooked,” Singleton said. “From then on, I’ve kept a rope in my hand and it seems like I’ve spent half of my life on a horse.”

Singleton said he can’t put the feeling of winning into words.

“To win, so many things have to come together and just at the right time,” he said.

“First, the draw of stock, your horse, you, your partner and his horse. If it all comes together, you have a good chance of winning.”

Saturday night’s Pike County Cattlemen’s rodeo will be especially exciting for Singleton.

“It’s a chance to rope in front of the home crowd,” he said. “Roping in Wyoming and Oklahoma is a lot of fun but the best time is roping here at home.”

Singleton said there are a lot of rodeo fans in Pike County and the Pike County Cattlemen’s rodeo is an outstanding rodeo for first timers because it’s a hometown crowd.

“There’s something special about rodeo,” Singleton said. “I don’t know how to explain it. Just come experience it.”

Gates open tonight at 5 p.m. and the rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. There will be bronc busting, barrel racing, steer wrestling, bareback riding, roping and bull riding. Vendors will offer pony rides and the mechanical bull will be bucking.

Saturday’s rodeo will feature the Western Festival for Kids that will include stick horse races, roping, mutton busting and wagon and buggy rides. Gates will open at 4 p.m. and the rodeo will start at 7:30.

Tickets at the gate are $12. Advance tickets are $10 and are available at TB&T Main Branch, Walker’s Western Wear, Piggly Wiggly locations and the Banks Buy Rite.  Kids 12 and under are admitted free.