High school football season is quickly coming to a close.
This week is the final week of the regular season for MHSAA schools besides 1A, which includes East Marion and our friends in the MAIS, including Columbia Academy, will begin playoff runs. In professional sports, Major League Baseball opens the annual Fall Classic as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros hook up, and college football is at its peak.
Of course, as teams make their respective runs in the playoffs, they’ll add fans. I’ll admit that I’ll be a bandwagon fan of the Astros as they make their journey. I’m a lifelong Cleveland Indians fan and always will be, but that doesn’t mean I can’t root for someone when my team is gone. Last year, I enjoyed Cleveland’s run into the World Series and was saddened when the Tribe dropped that spectacular Game 7 to the Cubs.
Win or lose, I love my teams. The same goes for college football. I’m a Kent State University graduate. We’ve had some great baseball teams, including a recent College World Series run, but football? Not so much. But, you know what? I still love my Golden Flashes.
This brings me to an interesting point. It bothers me when a team has a down year and no one shows up, or even when a team doesn’t travel well. I love to watch our local teams because our schools, Columbia, Columbia Academy, East Marion and West Marion, usually travel to away sites well. For example, I’ve seen several East Marion games on the road this year in Salem and Amite County. Both times, the same smiling faces from Leslie Peters Field greeted me at these venues. The same goes for the crowd that West Marion took to PCS. In the past, I’ve seen good crowds on the road for CA games and Columbia games, some of which required travel of more than an hour.
These athletes need your support, win or lose. I got to thinking about this last Saturday as I sat in the stands at Robinson-Hale Stadium on the Mississippi College campus. Yes, I’m one of those parents that must see each of my son’s games in the band. I trekked across the state when he marched for Pearl River Community College. What got me thinking was the lack of fans on the West Georgia side of the field. West Georgia is a good team and it’s a nice ride (about 6 hours) across I-20 from Carrollton, Ga., to Clinton. I felt bad for the athletes, who didn’t have their band or fans. Two weeks prior, the Choctaws played Delta State. It’s a much shorter distance from Cleveland to Clinton, and the stands were packed. The band played and supported the Statesmen/Fighting Okra to a big win over the host Choctaws.
I guess I’m saying that I appreciate the fans that make the sacrifices to watch the games. I appreciate the parents that want to see their children play ball or in the band. Many of these sacrifices include giving up vacations both for the days off needed to travel or the sheer amount of money that it takes to chase a team around the state or country.
It means so much to the student athletes. I can tell you. I was once one of those marching band kids. I’ll never forget my dad flying home early from a conference my senior year to watch one of my final high school band performances. Yes, my late wife, Amelia, and I made the same sacrifices for my son, Brian. We traveled to band competitions in Georgia and high school games that were six hours away. When he was at PRCC, I only missed one performance in two years. Some days I got into work at 4 a.m. to ensure that I could finish on deadline to leave for a game in Poplarville or beyond. Win or lose, I’ve supported his teams. The same goes for my favorites. I cheered the Cleveland Indians this year as their winning streak topped all in professional baseball, but even after they lost I’m continuing my support. Heck, I’ve been with my team when they lost 100 games, not won more than 100 like this year. The same goes for my poor alma mater, Kent State. The only thing I can say about my team is that the kicker is the leading scorer – he’s gotten a field goal in almost every game, including against Clemson.
So go out and support your local team, despite their record or despite what you think the outcome might be. Everyone needs loyal fans, plus you’ll be entertained, whether it is baseball, football, basketball or soccer.
Go have fun – get out and see a game this week – and support your teams.
