“Keep On Playing”

Ronald Reagan was President, my good buddy Russell Register had a head full of hair and I looked more like a former wide receiver than a former offense guard. The year was 1988, and that is how long it had been since Graceville beat Marianna in football. But this past Friday night the Tigers pulled off a 24-21 win over the Bulldogs.

Last year was the first time in Bulldog football history that all three county football teams (Cottondale, Graceville and Sneads) were on their schedule. It was the first year Marianna had ever played Sneads, which the Bulldogs won, during the regular season. Including this year’s game against Cottondale the Bulldogs have won all 9 of the meetings with the Hornets.

Graceville has been another story though. Counting Friday night’s game the two teams have played at least 35 times, dating back to the 1930’s. While the outcome of two of the contest is unknown to me, of the 33 times there is a recorded outcome, Marianna has won 25 times. But that means the Tigers have pulled off 8 wins over the Bulldogs. They had two wins in the 30’s, one in the fifties, four in the eighties and last Friday night’s win.

Some folks on both sides of the street say these games should not be on the schedule. The smaller schools, those folks would say, don’t need to play Marianna. They would say that most of the time you are going to get beat and wins are harder enough to get. So why make it even tougher by playing Marianna?

Some Marianna folks might ask “why play the smaller schools?” You have nothing to gain if you win because you were supposed to win. And if you lose it is a bitter pill to swallow as the largest school in the county.

Some of those in favor of these games might note that it is a good payday at the admission gate. All programs need money to run and having these inter-county games are a big boost to the pocket books. While that is certainly true, I like these games for another reason.

Inter-county games are intense rivalries. It’s not just another game and it gets folks fired up. And when one of the smaller schools knocks the “Big Dog” off the porch so to say, it creates a memory for those players and that community that won’t soon be forgotten. I know the Marianna folks would just assume not be the fodder for making another team’s year, but that is the nature of sports. You win some, and Marianna has won most, and you lose some. Graceville has pulled it off 8 times, Cottondale has been close several times and Sneads will try again late this season.

So while there are some folks that say these games should not be scheduled, I say Simply Put, let’s keep on playing them.

From the Front Porch: Coach said that all potential means is that you haven’t done anything yet.