The Crying Towel

Many years ago when my brother served as a football coach and later as athletic director at Warwick High School, he began a tradition of a "crying towel" which would be presented to one of us at Christmas, depending upon who won the Penn Manor - Warwick football game.  Unfortunately, during most of those years Penn Manor played terrible football and I almost always ended up with the towel.  Finally, after many years of frustration and losing, I "retired" the towel and ended the brotherly tradition.  Last Friday I returned to Warwick to watch the annual football game between these schools.  The weather was to be nice and it actually was Warwick's Homecoming. I am an alumnus of Warwick even though my allegiance is now to Penn Manor. It was with mixed emotions that I found a seat in the stadium.  It was the first time that I had returned to watch a game at Warwick since my brother died three years ago. And much of their excellent stadium and athletic complex was planned and developed by him in his job as athletic director. I was proud to see the fruits of his hard labor, but I really missed his presence. It just wasn't the same.  Penn Manor jumped to an early 13-0 lead at the start of the second quarter and it was obvious that this year they were the better team.  Then suddenly they announced that an unexpected severe storm with lighting and hail was coming.  They stopped the game and advised spectators to leave the stadium.  I have never experienced anything like this before.  I reached my car before the rain really started and I finally decided to just go home.  The entire way home it poured.  At times it was even very hard to see the road.  It turns out that we actually received almost 2.5 inches of rain in just an hour.  It was a freak storm that the weather bureau didn't see coming.  Warwick has artificial turf on their field so they were finally actually able to restart and finish the game.  But I wasn't there to see the last three quarters.  And, as it turns out, Penn Manor continued its undefeated season with a 40 - 6 victory.  Their 8-0 start is the best in the school's history.  Too bad that this didn't start 20 years ago. But now there is no longer a "crying towel" to return at Christmas and even if there were, Terry is no longer here to accept it.  He is enjoying more exciting things in his new heavenly home.  Oh how times change.