In the "For What It's Worth" department, here's a transcript of the texts I was sending a Bulldog fan, from the sidelines at last night's football game between Midland High and Abilene-Cooper. TRUST ME, no words of mine could match the excitement of being there ...but here it is anyway ...
__________
Grande Stadium is ROCKING!!!
MHS went ahead, 42-35, with about four minutes left in the game.
Cooper's ball. MHS intercepts a Cooper pass with about three minutes left in the game!
MHS has the ball on Cooper's 35, trying to burn up that clock, and maybe get another score. Cooper's using its timeouts, trying to save time and get the ball back.
Both schools' bands are CRANKING ... both schools have a large, loud cheering section.
Two-and-a-half minmutes left, MHS went for it on fourth down - and MISSED it by a couple of inches!
Cooper gets the ball on downs :-(
Cooper driving down the field - 48 seconds left.
Cooper into MHS territory - 31 seconds left.
Penalty on MHS - Cooper has first down on our thirty - 20 seconds left.
EVERYBODY is on their feet - 7 seconds left.
Cooper makes a "Hail Mary" into the end zone - MISSES - game over!
MHS WINS!!!
WOO-HOO!!!
__________
Okay, back to here and now. After the game, I visited for a while with a reporter/still photographer from Abilene. A gentleman about my age, with a fine moustache and an easygoing, friendly manner. We shook hands, and complimented one-another's hometown teams. We both agreed that we had just watched a GREAT game.
"Aren't you glad we're back together in district," he asked. "You bet I am," I answered.
The Cooper team held a long meeting in the southern end zone, then headed up the field to their locker room. They passed in front of the MHS Bulldog Band, which gave the Abilene players, coaches, cheerleaders and supporters a long and enthusiastic round of applause. Plenty of the visitors waved back, held up their helmets or tipped their hats ... some smiled.
It's nice to see that there are those who take seriously that standard speech read at the start of every game, asking everyone to respect one another, to respect one another's efforts and achievements.
"Take care on the road home," I heard more than one Midlander tell a visitor up in the locker room parking lot, where teams, bands and cheerleaders were loading up their busses.
All in all, a wonderful night ... glad I was there.
__________
Grande Stadium is ROCKING!!!
MHS went ahead, 42-35, with about four minutes left in the game.
Cooper's ball. MHS intercepts a Cooper pass with about three minutes left in the game!
MHS has the ball on Cooper's 35, trying to burn up that clock, and maybe get another score. Cooper's using its timeouts, trying to save time and get the ball back.
Both schools' bands are CRANKING ... both schools have a large, loud cheering section.
Two-and-a-half minmutes left, MHS went for it on fourth down - and MISSED it by a couple of inches!
Cooper gets the ball on downs :-(
Cooper driving down the field - 48 seconds left.
Cooper into MHS territory - 31 seconds left.
Penalty on MHS - Cooper has first down on our thirty - 20 seconds left.
EVERYBODY is on their feet - 7 seconds left.
Cooper makes a "Hail Mary" into the end zone - MISSES - game over!
MHS WINS!!!
WOO-HOO!!!
__________
Okay, back to here and now. After the game, I visited for a while with a reporter/still photographer from Abilene. A gentleman about my age, with a fine moustache and an easygoing, friendly manner. We shook hands, and complimented one-another's hometown teams. We both agreed that we had just watched a GREAT game.
"Aren't you glad we're back together in district," he asked. "You bet I am," I answered.
The Cooper team held a long meeting in the southern end zone, then headed up the field to their locker room. They passed in front of the MHS Bulldog Band, which gave the Abilene players, coaches, cheerleaders and supporters a long and enthusiastic round of applause. Plenty of the visitors waved back, held up their helmets or tipped their hats ... some smiled.
It's nice to see that there are those who take seriously that standard speech read at the start of every game, asking everyone to respect one another, to respect one another's efforts and achievements.
"Take care on the road home," I heard more than one Midlander tell a visitor up in the locker room parking lot, where teams, bands and cheerleaders were loading up their busses.
All in all, a wonderful night ... glad I was there.
2 comments:
Jeff, I was following J.P. Hearn's running commentary on Facebook during the final few minutes. It's amazing how much alike your respective updates were. It truly was a great game, and I'm glad to hear that the quality of the sportsmanship was on par with the athleticism.
Eric, thanks for stopping in, and for the input. I tell folks I'm there for the band (Younger Son is a baritonist), and the nachos ... but you get caught-up in it all ... you'd have to be dead, or close to it, to not enjoy a close, well-played competition.
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