Last night we went to =
a football game at my daughter's high school. (For my international=
readers, that's American football, not the game you think of and wh=
ich we call "soccer.") This is her second year in attendance =
and it's a fun team to watch — because they win so often. Go Eastb=
rook Panthers!
The game was a 47-21 victory against the neighbo=
ring high school to the east of us. But that score does not really show=
an accurate picture of the game. Actually, after three quarters of pla=
y the score stood at 47-0 and with victory in hand our coach wisely bega=
n to rotate in the less experience players from the second team. They m=
ade some mistakes, including two fumbles, each of which cost us a touchd=
own. However, it is good experience for them. By now, our team is so f=
ar in the lead in many games that our second string gets a lot of experi=
ence … which bodes well for the future. As a school team, of course, =
the best players are always graduating. A coach must always be thinking=
about developing future players.
Here's something else whi=
ch I find hilarious. Our cheerleading squad has the regular practice of=
celebrating each scoring of the team by lining up together and doing hi=
gh kicks. (With arms fully outstretched, they kick one leg up until the=
ir foot touches one of their hands.) The do as many high kicks as we ha=
ve points. That means, by the third quarter and we get a touchdown, all=
of the cheerleaders do 35 high kicks in a row. Then about five minutes=
later we score another touchdown, and they all do 41 high kicks in a ro=
w. And so on. They are very enthusiastic and early in the game keep it=
up well. But once our boys on the field start moving past the upper-20=
's in points, it is clear the girls on the cheerleading squad have d=
ifficulty. They do it, but their exhaustion shows! 😉 I joke around =
that because our football team scores so many points in many games we ha=
ve the most physically fit cheerleaders in the county.
Last yea=
r we attended two games, the scores of which were 54-7 and 54-6.
more demanding conference, so that we play more schools that give us a =
challenge on the field. That would likely lead to better development of=
our players, for sure. But on the other hand, while we whip up on the =
local teams quite regularly, at season's end when the playoff games =
begin we don't often do so well. Sometimes we win the sectional tou=
rnament but I don't know if they have ever won the regional tourname=
nt after that. So the opposite argument is that we should try to improv=
e our team until we win the tournaments more often before we apply for a=
tougher conference assignment.
One last thought. We have a pl=
ayer whose first name is "Boone." When he makes a really big =
play, like intercepting a pass, or a spectacular tackle of the ball carr=
ier, all of the fans in the stands call out his name: "Boooooooooo=
ne!" If you didn't know any better, you might think the home f=
ans were booing one of our own players even though he just did very well=
. That's what's funny about it. Because he is very good, this =
happens often each game. I keep saying to my wife, I don't know how=
good Boone Searls is, or whether he will make it on a college team whic=
h is big enough to play on television. But I do know that if he does, a=
nd the practice of calling out "Boooooooooone!" continues, the=
n one day we will be hearing the T.V. announcers explaining to the audie=
nce that no, the fans are not booing their own player, but that&#=
39;s a local habit based on his name.