High School Football

It was a beautiful chilly night - perfect football weather. I did something that I hadn't done for several years. I went to see a high school football game. It was my alma mater, Warwick, at Penn Manor, the district where I had worked for 39 years. In fact, in the late 60's another teacher and I were instrumental in starting the campaign that finally brought football to Penn Manor. In the years that followed, until the time that I retired, I don't think I ever missed a Penn Manor game. For many years I managed the Penn Manor press box at home and I covered the away games for the Lancaster Sunday News. When my brother was athletic director at Warwick, he tried to add some significance to the "rivalry" by giving me a "crying towel" for Christmas, after a Warwick victory over Penn Manor. The idea was that each year the towel would go to the one of us from the losing school. Unfortunately, through most of Penn Manor's football history, Manor was not very good. And so, after keeping the towel for many years, I finally made it disappear. There was little chance that Manor would ever beat Warwick, giving me a chance to return the towel to my brother. So back to last Friday. I decided to go a little early to see the band do their show. Disappointment #1 - the band didn't march. Instead they had all the players, band members and cheerleaders who were seniors march, run or dance across the field, one by one, to greet their parents. Each one was introduced individually with announcements about their activities and their future plans. (Boring!). It took almost 30 minutes to accomplish this. Disappointment #2 - the crowd was not very large for either team. Disappointment #3 - the folks around me weren't even watching the game. Their kids were yelling, running around, standing in front of me, and constantly in and out of the rows. The women were talking to each other, as were the men. The only time anybody watched what was going on was when the cheerleaders threw small footballs into the crowd. Disappointment #4 - the cheerleaders were busy doing their dance steps. They didn't watch the game at all when Warwick had the ball. Once they started the cheer "Who wants a touchdown". Unfortunately, by the time they started the cheer, Penn Manor had already scored. Several parents of seniors, including two of the fathers, were in the cheerleading line trying to do the cheers with kids - interesting. Disappointment #5 - the Warwick band started with a rousing Big Ten fight song. just like we played when I was in the Warwick band at football games. But that was the only fight song I heard all night. I didn't recognize the remaining things that were played while the game was in progress. When I was in the band, the band was not permitted by the league to play while the game was going on. Playing was restricted to time outs as a courtesy to the teams calling their signals. And I don't even know if the Penn Manor band even played at all. I never heard them if they did. The actual game was not very exciting, so I left at the half. That was enough for me. I guess I am getting old. I remember the "good old days" when the bands played stirring fight songs like "On Wisconsin", the cheerleaders actually followed the game and cheered for their team, and the fans actually came to see football. Maybe I am just spolied by going to Penn State football games. Change, change, change. Oh yes, there was one more disappointment. If my brother would still be alive, I could finally give the towel back to him since Penn Manor now has a competitive team and beat Warwick. Oh how I wish I could do that.