What Got You Hooked?

[CRF4Dan]

This was a topic I intended to post back around the Superbowl. On one of the many sports radio shows I listen to they were talking about what game got you hooked onto football. So my question to you is what game, what team got you hooked into high school football?

I can recall going to a rainy game my freshman year and I went to a couple here and there but it wasn't till my senior year at Varina that I got hooked. That was the year the Blue Devils upset Thomas Dale and Bird to win the region title. Many of my classmates played on that team that year and I can recall the anticipation surrounding that game, the atmosphere that day. It was a game that was very much in the favor of Varina in the first half but Hylton went ahead late crushing the hearts of Blue Devil fans...

Who knew this would be the first of a few heartbreaks at the hands of CD Hylton. That was the game for me that got me hooked and led me to where I am today covering the Richmond Region. What game got you hooked and why?

 

[mike salem]

This was a topic I intended to post back around the Superbowl. On one of the many sports radio shows I listen to they were talking about what game got you hooked onto football. So my question to you is what game, what team got you hooked into high school football?

I can recall going to a rainy game my freshman year and I went to a couple here and there but it wasn't till my senior year at Varina that I got hooked. That was the year the Blue Devils upset Thomas Dale and Bird to win the region title. Many of my classmates played on that team that year and I can recall the anticipation surrounding that game, the atmosphere that day. It was a game that was very much in the favor of Varina in the first half but Hylton went ahead late crushing the hearts of Blue Devil fans...

Who knew this would be the first of a few heartbreaks at the hands of CD Hylton. That was the game for me that got me hooked and led me to where I am today covering the Richmond Region. What game got you hooked and why?

My parents are both from Halifax Co, but when I was 11 we moved to Rustburg. The only thing to do in Rustburg on Friday night about 30 yrs ago, was go to a football game. (Actually that's probably still the case)

My friend's family really liked going to the games and they invited me to go. The game they invited me to wasn't just any game, it was the '87 D3 Championship game between visiting James Monroe and Rustburg. The Red Devils had this running back named Danny Davis. I don't remember much about the game, I think JM mostly kept the RB in check as they won 10-9.

That game was on a Saturday, but that following year I went to all of the Friday night home games with my friend. From then on I was hooked to the lights of Friday night. I loved watching the game, the cheerleaders, hearing the beat of the band- especially the drums, being outside as the seasons changed from summer, to fall, and near winter. I loved the smell of popcorn, the sound of cleats stomping the concrete as the players came out of the locker rooms, the anticipation of a rivalry game. As it got colder and the playoffs began I enjoyed having a girlfriend to cozy up with to lessen the sting of a cold wind and those aluminum seats. Honestly, when I was a teenager there wasn't much about HS football I didn't like. (Except when the game was over, the season ended too soon, or losing to Brookville)

As I got a little older and started my own family I didn't always follow HS football as closely. Every now and again, the pull would draw me back in. We'd move to a different school zone or a team would be doing real good. I remember following EC Glass to the title game in '95, following Rustburg to the '00 Title, even watching Northside go undefeated during the regular season when we first moved to Roanoke for my job with the Postal Service.

Then in '04 we moved to a HS football mecca. If I hadn't been hooked before I was then. Watching the Spartans in this small college sized stadium with the community rallying around their team. It was like Rustburg, but on a bigger scale. I've enjoyed watching my kids and their friends, who became as close as my own, grow up running around on the hill during the game. (Sometimes the game on the hill was better and more intense than the one on the field)

Over the years a lot of things have changed, but my passion for HS football has stayed strong.

 

[shauntclair]

As a kid, I played for the Huntington Boys Club on Long Island. Loved the game but it was the awards dinner that hooked me heavily on Football, in general. From the New York Jets, it was Ralph Baker, Larry Grantham and Joe Namath that handed out the trophies. I was a linebacker and Baker was my hero at the time.

I went to a HS that had no team but loved watching my brother's games. He had played for years in youth leagues. His team even won the youth Northeast National Championship at Hofstra College. They didn't let him play much other than special teams in HS but 40 years later, still holds the school record for blocked kicks. But he was small for a defensive tackle at 6' and 185. No one could contain him when he got into a game, he was so fast and had more moves than I've ever seen anyone have. I have never seen players come off the field because of a bent face mask, but they did with Michael. I've never seen players come off the field with shattered cups before, but they did with Michael. He was dirty and he was also vicious. A player on his team went to Ohio State and then the New Orleans Saints. Nick Bonicotti was his name. Michael ate him alive on a regular basis. It made an impression on me. The little, no name guy can sometimes kick butt.

I'm just a big sports fan, in general. My kids were registered for everything. Swimming, football, soccer, baseball. Everything I could get them into. Athletics were a constant but I never wanted them to play Football in HS. I didn't want them hurt. James stayed with Soccer and Baseball, thank God. I wouldn't let the middle one play Middle School and I did everything I could to keep him from playing in HS but his entire life, this was a kid you had to tell to be cautious when playing with other kids. He was not too big. Just ludicrously strong. Something I've only seen a few times in my life. He was a total Teddy Bear but he needed a way to let it all out when he got to HS. He was a FB and DL as a freshman and MVP of the team. I begged him to not play Varsity as a Sophomore when the HC asked him. I didn't want him hurt. But he wanted to go for it and was taken under the wing of a Senior named Ryan Sutherland, an All-State DT as a Junior. Major impact. The starter got hurt in game 3 and mine replaced him. Wally Pipp and became All-Region as a Sophomore.

Things moved on. All-State. DI. The whole deal. Never missed a game of any of them and the youngest one followed the path. Small as a Freshman but worked hard, was natural athlete and was JV MVP as Sophomore. Captain on Varsity. Would have played next level but the grades dropped horribly after the divorce. Not his fault. Mine. He's now part of the Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetary. It's a good start.

Loved to write about their games and documented every play. Still love the team and now watch games in MD while I help out my parents. In the DelMarva, it's just not the same. FYI. My poor Mother died last month but hope to keep Dad around for awhile longer. But the love of the game doesn't stop. I still follow my Battlefield teams closely and probably will in the future. Some addictions are OK to retain.

 

[mike salem]

As a kid, I played for the Huntington Boys Club on Long Island. Loved the game but it was the awards dinner that hooked me heavily on Football, in general. From the New York Jets, it was Ralph Baker, Larry Grantham and Joe Namath that handed out the trophies. I was a linebacker and Baker was my hero at the time.

I went to a HS that had no team but loved watching my brother's games. He had played for years in youth leagues. His team even won the youth Northeast National Championship at Hofstra College. They didn't let him play much other than special teams in HS but 40 years later, still holds the school record for blocked kicks. But he was small for a defensive tackle at 6' and 185. No one could contain him when he got into a game, he was so fast and had more moves than I've ever seen anyone have. I have never seen players come off the field because of a bent face mask, but they did with Michael. I've never seen players come off the field with shattered cups before, but they did with Michael. He was dirty and he was also vicious. A player on his team went to Ohio State and then the New Orleans Saints. Nick Bonicotti was his name. Michael ate him alive on a regular basis. It made an impression on me. The little, no name guy can sometimes kick butt.

I'm just a big sports fan, in general. My kids were registered for everything. Swimming, football, soccer, baseball. Everything I could get them into. Athletics were a constant but I never wanted them to play Football in HS. I didn't want them hurt. James stayed with Soccer and Baseball, thank God. I wouldn't let the middle one play Middle School and I did everything I could to keep him from playing in HS but his entire life, this was a kid you had to tell to be cautious when playing with other kids. He was not too big. Just ludicrously strong. Something I've only seen a few times in my life. He was a total Teddy Bear but he needed a way to let it all out when he got to HS. He was a FB and DL as a freshman and MVP of the team. I begged him to not play Varsity as a Sophomore when the HC asked him. I didn't want him hurt. But he wanted to go for it and was taken under the wing of a Senior named Ryan Sutherland, an All-State DT as a Junior. Major impact. The starter got hurt in game 3 and mine replaced him. Wally Pipp and became All-Region as a Sophomore.

Things moved on. Never missed a game and the youngest one followed the path. Small as a Freshman but worked hard, was natural athlete and was JV MVP as Sophomore. Captain on Varsity. Would have played next level but the grades dropped horribly after the divorce. Not his fault. Mine. He's now part of the Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetary. It's a good start.

Loved to write about their games and documented every play. Still love the team and now watch games in MD while I help out my parents. In the DelMarva, it's just not the same. FYI. My poor Mother died last month but hope to keep Dad around for awhile longer. But the love of the game doesn't stop. I still follow my Battlefield teams closely and probably will in the future. Some addictions are OK to retain.

Sorry to hear about your mom Shaun.

 

[shauntclair]

Sorry to hear about your mom Shaun.

this is a Mike response. Life in perspective. Thanks man. Best to you to. I know it's been tough but let me say one thing. Spartan's kicked ass against what seemed an insurmountable foe. Very, very well done and congrats.

No fear and take it to em'. Mag's did this and I expect it next year too. The East may have skills. The West is Rocky. Lombardi would be proud. Go get em' in 2016.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Shaunty, really sorry you lost your mother. I know you have worked hard to give them both great care. My thoughts are with you.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I had to put some thought into what got me hooked. And it's kind of a triple play!

I was a photographer for my high school yearbook. At the time, the school gave terrific support to the yearbook staff and program. Consequently, we had top notch cameras and great instruction. Naturally, sports photography was a huge part of our efforts. And football action was the apogee of all athletics. So I guess this was the first hook embedded in my sports soul.

My very first real date was to a Friday night high school football game when I was 15. Four years later I married that girl. And we are still married after almost 44 years. I'll list this as the second hook.

Number three is what hopelessly addicted me. A life long friend of mine had a son that was playing JV football. So I started going to games to support my friend. That was it for me. I was completely hooked. And on the heals of my growing "re-intensification" of love for the game came Coach Billy Mills. What he stands for was all I needed to be "all in"!

Mike, you said something that brings a smile to my face. The sound of cleats on a hard surface. I can't think of a single more descriptive thing that "is" football. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face as I hear that unique unmistakable sound in my head.

 

[cutnjump]

My father took me to my first high school game at age 5. Our paperboy played middle linebacker. At that time the guys looked huge in their uniforms and use to love the letter jackets with all the medals. The pickup games behind the grandstand, the smell of fresh cut grass, hotdogs, cheerleaders, etc.. The NBC theme song "waitin' on Sunday Night" began as "waitin' on Friday night" for me. Nothing like Friday night even today in real football communities.

Condolences to you ShaunT on your mom. I know it is tough to watch them dealing with end of life realities and it is tough on the children/caregivers as well. Good luck with your dad.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Well stated Cut. Both your description of the sights, sounds, and smells of Friday nights, and your most sincere condolences to Shaunty.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

I was hooked on HS football when I was in HS, loved going to the games, and travelling to them as well. When I went to college in the early 80's, Kansas State University, I went to the college games. I was part of the "Aggieville Riot" in 1984 when K-State beat KU at K-State. We tore down the goalposts, and paraded them through Aggieville. Ended up getting pepper sprayed in my face by a cop that night. My parents called me the next day wondering if they needed to send bail money. The Aggieville Riot made national news!!!

Once I grew up and started a family of my own, I had a nephew that played in middle school on the local league teams, then he played at Clarke County High, then went on to Western Maryland and played there as well. He's now one of the Clarke County High football assistant coaches. I love going to the HS games, and travelling to the away games when I can. My daughter played in the Marching Band so I was always watching the halftime shows. Still do, still talk to the music director, still sit in the band parents section at the games. Mike's right, it's the atmosphere.

I remember watching one game several years ago on a cool night in late October. I remember seeing the teams line up opposite each other, and seeing their breath as they took their stance on the field. I remember thinking that was as good as it gets!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

The breath of the players, the smell of popcorn, the sound of cleats! What other suttle sights and sounds can we list?

 

[mike salem]

The breath of the players, the smell of popcorn, the sound of cleats! What other suttle sights and sounds can we list?

If you're at Salem Stadium the sound of the bell after a home team score. I remember the Hidden Valley game last year the bell ringer probably got really tired. Spartans scored 77 points, meaning the bell rang 462x. 7+14+21+28, etc... I'm sure the Titans went home feeling like they got their bell rung for more than one reason that night!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I chuckled as I remember what an opposing coach told his team as they walked in past our cannon. He shouted, "and I better not hear that damn cannon go off a single time"!

He didn't get his wish. It is fired every time Dinwiddie scores. We nearly ran out of shots that night, as I recall.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

The breath of the players, the smell of popcorn, the sound of cleats! What other suttle sights and sounds can we list?

The smell of burgers cooking on the grill! Many times throughout the season that smoke wafts through "The Felt".

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Yep, how could we ignore that one!

 

[ChancellorFan]

Let’s start with being born in Texas. In the 60’s and 70’s, everyone is at the game on Friday nights in the fall! But, I was a runt! Two months after high school graduation I reported to MCRD Parris Island, SC at a whole 5’3” and maybe 120 lbs!..With those stats, you aren’t going to be a bench warmer in a 5A high school in Texas! So, I have never played. I was a very involved parent with both of my daughters going through high school and thus the band and football games! Football stuck but it has deep roots. Now, after getting close to 20 years watching the same team/district, it’s the players and the coaching staff that keeps me hooked. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see my team win!!! But, watching these young men being molded into team players, watching the leadership traits develop, seeing them develop trust and hold each other to task, watching coaches using different techniques to get points across and teach, seeing the players teach each other and holding attitudes in check, watching the skill sets expand and mature, seeing standards set and met, and seeing players fail and how they are molded to deal with it. Watching that one player who showed up as a freshman and could barely get out of his own way become one of the stars and team leaders his senior year and all of the work and coaching that got him there. Or the one that showed up as a freshman thinking he was a star until his first varsity game gave him the biggest gut check of his life and how he responded. I could go on but suffice to say it’s all about the team.