What do you think of?

As a former player, it's ironic, but I think of the band playing the fight song, the concession stand with the grill cooking great food, the cheerleaders doing their cheers and dance routine to the school fight song and, being from Raceland, I think of all the fans in their lawn chairs sitting around the end zones with their blankets and the fire department sitting in the end zone supporting their high school.  I love the game, but the other stuff makes the atmosphere for me.  

What makes the game an event for you?  What does your school do that makes the game for you? 

From a different perspective, Friday night football means a lot to me because until 2007 we didn't have it, and until 2019 didn't have our own place to call home.  I now look forward to arriving at the stadium 90 minutes prior to tip-off, walking onto the field among our players warming up to do a pre-game interview with our head coach, interacting briefly with the players I encounter.  I enjoy nothing more than climbing the steps to the press box, anticipating the excitement of the upcoming contest.    I get chills when our team runs out thought the "tunnel" and the smoke just prior to kick-off.  Signing on for a new broadcast is exhilarating, and I feel similar emotions as our team when we make a big play.  I've got an excellent "football knowledgeable" partner, and I think we do a good job.  It takes a while to wrap up and clear the press box, just in time to interact with the parents and the players as they come out of the locker room.  To me the entire Friday night experience is gratifying, and as I drive away, I can't wait until we do it all over again the following week. 

@MustangThat is awesome.  Makes me think that some of us may take the whole high school football thing for granted.  

Usually the first thing I think of is O-line practice. We practiced in the baseball outfield while I was at Cov Cath. The offensive line practice area was in left field where the foul line would have run out from 3rd base. Hitting the sled, of course. Doing trap drills in the mud, and the time Coach Eckerle was holding the hand shield and had Shane Studer trap block him...Coach Ecks slipped in the mud and fell over after Shane hit him. Swallowed half of his dip and spent the next few minutes coughing and sputtering and laughing, half covered in mud.

Getting my ankle taped in the training room before every practice and game.

Watching "Norb" Kendall chopping his feet doing pass blocking drills against imaginary pass rushers.

Clanging my helmet on the chutes when I went too high coming out of my stance on the whistle.

Being a sophomore on the scout team kick return squad...I was in the wedge. Artie Steinmetz was a wedge-breaker on the kickoff team. At the beginning of afternoon practice one day during two-a-days Coach Ray was really unhappy with the kickoff team and made us run it about 20 times, and the second-last time, Big Art hit me so hard I went airborne backwards and landed flat on my back. When I opened my eyes, everything was a weird tint of green for about 20 seconds...next thing I knew, Artie reached down and pulled me up to my feet with one arm and my legs half-buckled beneath me as he said, "Nice hit, cat," and trotted back down to run it again.

Playing euchre in the locker room during break between two-a-day practices.

Wedgie-Man at the Thursday walk through practices.

Singing the fight song on Big Blue once the light at Kyles Lane turned green on the way back to school from road games.

Running onto the field before kickoff for a varsity home game for the first time...my sophomore year. Boone County. The goosebumps didn't go away until the first quarter had ended.

Artie Steinmetz blocking a PAT in overtime to beat Ryle in the next game that season. He blew through his blockers so fast that he nearly took the ball in the crotch when he dove to block the kick.

How much work it was tensing the muscles in my legs just to keep my feet beneath me in the inch and a half of mud on the field at Highlands during the '97 Mud Bowl. It was like trying to stand ankle-deep in a bowl of pudding.

Watching Artose Pinner dodge and juke past 8 attempted tackles on the opening kickoff in the 1997 AAA State Championship to get tackled on the 9th attempt, right in front of me on the sideline...with about a six yard kick return.

Seeing Frisk and Lorenzen on the field. And Munoz.

Trying to hold back tears at Highlands watching the clock running the last 12 seconds down in my last game.

This is a great topic, and I hope the high school players who I knew browse this board, take a second to read it.  There will never be anything like Friday nights.  Even if you get to continue playing this game for as long as you choose, you cannot ever recreate that feeling of playing with the guys you grew up with, in front of your friends, your family and your community.   All of what's already been mentioned, the lights, the band, the tradition, it's just something really hard for other sports/activities to replicate.   And one day, it all ends.  The pads come off and they don't ever, ever go back on.  Something so poetic and dramatic about that and just another one of the terrific life lessons this game provides.  

Too many blessings to count, but it all starts with this....

 

 

If you are an old school HS Football fan, think you would enjoy this.....

 

https://blackshoesandwhiteshoestrings.blogspot.com/