For radio (Texas Sports Radio Network), next month will be year 15 for me!!! For television (KMYS), next month will be year 3 for me. I am serious!!! Yes, I get paid!!! Yes, Texas high school football is awesome and electrifying! I have several nicknames on air which makes me feel like Babe Ruth!!
And, of course I watched Friday Night Lights!!!! Texas forever!!!! I was disappointed that the series ended but was very pleased with the way it ended. I even shed some tears during the finale.
I have been to old stadiums, new stadiums, renovated stadiums, and the Alamodome. Outside of San Antonio, I have traveled to San Marcos, Seguin, Buda/Kyle, Waco, Houston, Bryan, Laredo, Alice, Corpus Christi, San Benito, New Braunfels, Victoria, and Arlington.
I have witnessed fantastic finishes, amazing plays, and state championships. I have seen team’s ecstatic one moment; only to be drenched with tears seconds later! I have seen numerous Gatorade baths!!!
The most exciting game I have ever seen was in 2002 when Judson won the state championship; the last few minutes of the game were unbelievable. I was in the press box when I heard the winning call from Bobby Stautzenberger and Tony Franklin which was featured locally and nationally!
I have seen many injuries; some have required ambulances and helicopters on the football field. I saw one kid, Cory Fulbright from Everman high school in a state championship game, take a hit and wound up being paralyzed. Everman went on to win the game! I saw Devin Thomas from Madison high school get horse collared and that injury ended his high school career. He had 483 yards rushing in 1 game!!!He was by far the best running back I have seen in San Antonio.
I have smelled the hotdogs, the popcorn, the nachos with jalapenos, the BBQ, the frito pies, the turf, and in one instance a pig farm (the wind was blowing into the press box and it was really bad).
At that pig farm game, there were also crickets everywhere. During the game, the guy filming for the visiting team ran into the tiny press box and took his pants off; he had crickets in his pants!!!! So, not a fun experience!! Oh, did I mention that the public address announcer at that stadium thinks he is on tv and is really loud. And, that press box was so small, I was sitting on the announcers lap! I am just kidding about that, but it was really small and tight and not air conditioning.
Going to a High School football game in San Antonio is awesome; especially when the teams are rivals and the games are known as the Gucci Bowl, the Town and Country Bowl, the Chili Bowl, or the Frontier Bowl.
The atmosphere of a football game is unbelievable. The parents, the teachers, the students, the cheerleaders, the dance team, the ROTC, the band, and the athletes are all cheering, screaming, and waiting; waiting for a big stop or a big play. Even the folks in the press box are amazed.
This season, I am going to write about the games I work. I hope you will enjoy my stories.
