Column: Couch’s Corner

In the spirit of high school football playoffs…

Is it the Friday night lights or the fans screaming as the boys run through the banner? Is it the scent of freshly cut grass or the cheerleaders wearing the jersey number of their favorite player on their eye black? Whatever the reason, and there are many more, high school football has the potential to be the greatest time in a boy’s life.

So why high school football? Why not high school baseball, basketball or soccer? 

If you have ever attended a Friday night football game, you understand the amazing culture that goes along with the bright lights, teenage boys and cheering fans. The sport brings the community together with a common purpose: to cheer the boys on to victory. 

It does not matter if disputes or disagreements scatter around town, all the distractions get pushed aside when tailgating time approaches. When the grills come out from the beds of pickup trucks and a player’s parent starts barbecuing, earthly cares get pushed aside until Saturday morning.

As the national anthem plays and the players sway from left to right with nervous anticipation, a dad smiles from the bleachers and puts his arm around his wife, remembering the days when he was the starting quarterback and she was the cutest cheerleader.

As the players line up for opening kickoff, they hit their helmets, hoping for and dreading the collision soon to transpire.

Coming from a former high school quarterback, the greatest vibe you feel each Friday night is when coach calls a play action pass.

For those unsure of what a play action pass is, I will explain. It is when the quarterback takes the snap from under center and extends the ball to the outstretched arms of the running back. The quarterback pulls the ball away from the running back at the last second and hides the ball.

That is when it happens.

The crowd looks on as the linebackers tackle the running back, believing that they have stuffed him for no gain. But then the fans realize the quarterback still has the ball and is pulling up to launch the ball deep down field to a wide-open receiver.

A low roar rumbles from the crowd as the ball spins through air. The low roar rises to a deafening eruption as the receiver catches the pass and sprints to the end zone, arm raised, pointing to the sky in an uncontainable adrenaline rush.

The parents and fans exchange high fives, not caring whether or not they have met the person they are now
celebrating with.

After the game, the exhausted players make their way to where their parents wait to give them hugs and congratulatory statements. As the players socialize, cheerleaders quickly approach to give bashful side hugs and girly sounding “great games.”

Following the bus ride home, some of the players grab a late-night slice of pizza with teammates while others shower and then hop in the truck with their dads to go eat burgers and fries while rehashing
the game. 

In the morning the starters wake up feeling as if they were in a car wreck. But they wouldn’t trade it. They wouldn’t trade it for the world because they had just lived a dream the night before. Fall high school football under the lights.