Football Season 2017 Update

So I was just bee-bopping along so nicely with posts and then life happened and I looked up and it was October...October folks, as is 12 weeks until Christmas.  I honestly couldn't tell you what happened to September.  Well I guess I can, it's called football season, and fishing trips, and work, and....well you get the point. 

I have lots of fun posts to share....soon, very soon, but I figured a brief football season update was in order for today. So here goes.....

Football season is now in full swing and we're in the second half of our season already.  We're now 5-1 (2-1 in the region).  Last Friday went back to Brewton (where we were Labor Day weekend) to play the team on the other side of Murder Creek, T.R. Miller.  This was a huge game, despite the fact that it was not a region game.  Why?

THS has played T.R. Miller 6 times, and up until last Friday had lost every contest, one of which cost the 1984 THS team a trip to the State Championship....and you better believe those who were not that team have not forgotten; in fact some of them have sons on the team now. 

T.R. Miller was no slouch in the 80s, nor are they now. They're a perennial powerhouse and hold the distinction of the "Winning-est High School Program in Alabama History" which is a big deal in Alabama....one of those teams that can help you assess how good your team is when you play them.....and guess what happened on Friday night?!?

.....WE WON! 

I thought the Handley game a few weeks ago was the best game I'd been to in recent memory, but the game Friday night was hands down the most fun high school football game I've been to.The game itself was absolutely insane....we were down 29-7 halfway through the third quarter and it seemed like every time they got the ball they ran a couple of plays and then scored a long TD. I remember thinking at halftime I hope they run the clock the second half....it was THAT bad. 

But something sparked in our kids out of no where and we scored, and then we kicked 3....yes I said 3 onside kicks in a row and recovered all three, scoring 3 touchdowns in the process to go up 33-27.  After a little back and forth and a little help from some zebras, we found ourselves on defending our endzone from 10 yards away with 9 seconds on the clock.  T.R. Miller tried to throw a pass in the endzone to score but one of our kids came around and batted down the pass as time expired.....

.....and then it was pandemonium!  We had a huge crowd that made the 2.5 hour drive (we had more people there than they did and that's saying something considering we live in a town of 6,000) including a sizable student section that rode a spirit bus to the game, so when time expired our stands erupted and the entire student section and several adults (a couple from the '84 team) stormed the field.

Post-game Alma Mater bliss!  

I've said it before but there's something different about this season.  The excitement that's brewing around this team is unlike what I've seen in the nearly 10 years I've been to games here, and it's so much fun!  Left on our schedule are 4 big region games, 2 of whom are against local rival teams that we have a lot of history with, so I hope that excitement just continues to build throughout the rest of the season! 

Tonight's game is one of those local rivals, and they are a very dangerous team.  They have some athletes who basically play backyard football - which is the opposite of what we play - so we have to be ready!  Hopefully we'll take care of business!  Go Tigers!!!