Football is serious business in the Texas Panhandle. Our local news begins ramping us up with Friday Highlights, a preview of each panhandle high school team that premieres at 2-a-days. (For the football uninitiated '2-a-days': holding football practice twice a day generally starting around the first of August.)
This season one more team was added to the NAIA football rank.
D. works for a small university that was established in 1908. Their football program came to an end at the start of WWII. So many men went to war that the university could not field a team. They did not have another football season until 2012. Today was the first home game for Wayland in 70 years.
D. has been at Wayland for 14 years and I graduated with my Master's in 2005. There was a great deal of pride seeing our team take the field this afternoon. It is a young group, freshman and sophomores, that have worked through a year of just practice to get to play their first game as a team in September, 2012. Everything is new such as the uniforms and coaches, fan t-shirts and souvenirs; the field is borrowed, (the local high school stadium) and enthusiasm is high for what is going to be a rough season of getting team oriented, working together and winning.
There is a thrill that comes with being here at the beginning, watching it all come together and cheering the smallest of successes. (We lost but the team played hard and deserved every cheer.) I feel invested and excited about watching this team develop and grow.
One more Texas football team in an sport being played in every town, at every level can seem unremarkable but it's my team, I'm a fan and fall IS football.
What are you a fan of?
What are you a fan of?
Go Pack Go!
ReplyDelete(But for overall football fans, I have to confess Texas takes the prize)
Football and fall go together! I am actually a hockey fan, but am always glad when football season begins, because it means fall weather is on its way. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Well this household bleeds Burnt Orange!!!!!!!! Hook 'em Horns. Generations of UT grads and hubby was in the Longhorn Band and born and raised in Austin...it is in our blood. We still get excited to see the Tower Orange.
ReplyDeleteNot football:(( LOL But I love the time of year and am enjoying fall here:)
ReplyDeleteWayland has long been a univerity of 'firsts' and I expect that fielding a football team so many years after the last one played is likely another! Congrats to those who had the vision and made it happen. Great job by the coaches, players, and administration. Thanks to the fans for their support. And kudos to the spirit teams, Cheer and Dance, and the band for energizing and entertaining everyone! Looking forward to next season. Signed, an appreciate Army Brat in Illinois
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