This is what it's all about

Normally I don’t get the privilege to cover high school football. This time of the year normally overlaps my college soccer schedule and I miss out on great high school football. 

But this year was different.

Lucky for me, we had three teams in our immediate coverage area and several others teams locally advance to the state football playoffs — teams whose seasons lasted longer then my relatively short soccer season.

So I was called upon to cover high school football. I won’t lie — when I was assigned my first football assignment in over a year — I was a little nervous. Stats, coaches, records and the inclement weather were just a few things on my mind.

As the playoffs unfolded I became more relaxed and found myself asking for any available football games.

I got my wish.

I traveled to Warsaw to watch the Wildcats play Pierce City. I was immediately impressed. I like to think I know quite a bit about football. On Sundays you can find me on my couch watching my favorite team — I don’t want to say it out loud, but it’s  the Chiefs. 

I know the rules and regulations, when to cheer or when to yell “challenge that call!” 

Warsaw’s win over Pierce City sparked my curiosity. Could Warsaw make a serious run in the playoffs?

The next week I was lucky enough to cover them again, this time against Lamar. Lamar was a solid team but Warsaw had little trouble against them as well.

By this time I had become friends with Warsaw’s longtime coach Randy Morrow, a member of the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame since 1997. I was excited about his team and Morrow was more than gracious in talking to me and answering all my questions. I had also become familiar with their style of football and who the key players were on the team.

The third time I traveled to Warsaw, this time on a Saturday afternoon, was a day I will remember for a long time.

The weather was perfect — cold and windy, with an occasional snowflake falling to the ground.

I wish every football fan could have witnessed Saturday’s epic showdown.

The Wildcats lost the game by a single point to Fair Grove, 26-25. It may have been the best high school football I have ever witnessed.

Both teams were talented, tough and above all, great football teams.

The electricity in the crowd was unimaginable. The fans were loud, supportive and energetic.

I don’t like sitting in the press box during sporting events. You can normally find me among the home-town fans, sharing stories and debating who will step their game up today. You just get a better feel of the game when you are in the middle of it all.

I think I experienced every emotion possible during that game.

After the truly heart-breaking loss sustained by the Wildcats, the worst part of my job came into effect — interviewing the local, losing coach. I found myself searching for what to say because I was truly heartbroken myself. I had come to enjoy covering Warsaw football.

Coach Morrow came directly up to me, as he always did. He answered my questions, thanked me for the coverage and rejoined his team in the locker room. On a side note — Warsaw is extremely lucky to have a coach like him.

I watched several of the players leave the locker room that day with their head down, shoulders slumped and even a tear in their eyes.

I know what that feeling is like. It may be the worst pain in the sporting world. Even though I never had the privilege of playing football in high school, I know the tragedy of losing such a close and important game. 

In 2003, my high school team lost in the elite eight in the soccer state playoffs in overtime — a game that would have taken us to our first soccer final four appearance in school history.

Later that year, my basketball team lost another heartbreaker in a sweet 16 matchup of the state playoffs.

All I can say is that something like that is painful and to be honest, it never fully goes away.

But something you should know is that everyone is proud of you. Even though it may not ease the pain, you played the best Class 2 football game this part-time sportswriter had ever seen. Both teams played with incredible heart, determination and love for the game, and both teams made their fans, community, and towns proud.

All of the local schools and communities should be proud of their football teams and congratulate them any chance they get. I would like to thank coach Morrow and the Warsaw players for putting on a great performance.

It’s been a great year for high school football.

I didn’t have the honor of covering any Smith-Cotton football games this season but congratulations to them on a great season and good luck to Tipton in the Cardinals’ game against Thayer on Saturday.