Simply Put- "It's Back"

9/4/08
By: Clint Cox

As I stood on the sidelines last Thursday night in Cottondale, I once again found myself saying, "Finally, high school football is back." I said that even though I was standing there drenched in sweat from head to toe due to the humidity which was as bad as to be expected in late August. I also said that even though the game I was covering, Freeport at Cottondale, was a preseason game that we refer to as a Kickoff Classic. The next night, Friday night, I was in Quincy covering Marianna at East Gadsden. It was also a Kickoff Classic and it was also hot and humid. Graceville hosted Sneads in a classic and I liked Sneads Head Coach Don Dowling’s description of the humidity. "it was like breathing through a mop." But even though it was hot, humid and only "practice games" I was loving it.
There is nothing quite like high school football. I can’t seem to think of another single sporting event that is so embraced by each community.
You’ve got the color and pageantry of the football uniforms, cheerleading outfits and band uniforms. All of which instill a sense of pride for each respective community. You’ve got the stands full of folks for the community. They are laughing and talking as they catch up with each other after a summer of being out and about. I realize that plenty of folks come out to the basketball and baseball games. But I still am of the opinion that football is king of hill when it comes to attendance.
You’ve got the concession stands cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs and boiled peanuts. Of which the smoke and smell drift out across the stands and field. Nothing advertises hamburgers, hot dogs and boiled peanuts like the smoke from a grill or steam from a big pot full of boiled goobers. And of course there is the action on the field. From kickoff returns for touchdowns to halfback passes for touchdowns, nothing is like the game of football. And when one of the Hornet defenders rocked a Freeport runner, you could hear the pop all over the field, which in turn drew the oohs! and ahs! from the crowd.
This Friday night the schools get down to the real thing, opening night for the 2008 season (See Friday night preview for a listing of the local games). So let me highly recommend that you go out to your favorite school’s football field, grab a burger or dog, along of course with some boiled peanuts, and enjoy the glorious return of high school football. Simply Put, there is nothing like it.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said "vegetarian" is an old Native American word for "bad hunter."