2018 From the Sidelines: Loraine at Blackwell

By Dency McClure

It’s not much of a drive for us to get to Blackwell so when we heard there would be a game there on a Thursday night, we made it happen. We arrived to a damp and cloudy evening full of wind and mist. This kind of weather seems to be the norm this football season. Rain boots have been the normal attire for most games.
 
I waved at some people I know and got some odd looks and then some slow smiles of recognition. Something about wearing extra layers and a toboggan made me harder to recognize. Plus, I didn’t have a bright Texas 1A Fan shirt visible under all my added layers for warmth.
 
Lots of media members were out for the game. I think it being a Thursday game and not too far away from bigger towns made for lots of outlets to take advantage of the chance to cover an extra game. I always enjoy seeing familiar faces on the sidelines. I try not to visit too much so we can stay focused on the task of covering the game, but sometimes I get distracted in conversation. Can’t imagine that right?
 
You have to double appreciate schools that have heated and air conditioned bathrooms. Yes, I’m going to mention bathrooms in this article. Nothing like a warm burst of air on a cold night when nature calls. I have a mental list of all the schools that have this amazing feature. So, when it’s 105 outside and someone ask if I want to cover a certain school I search my mental list. All bathroom comfort aside, it really doesn’t matter when picking a school to cover but it is a nicety.
 
One of the chain gang graduated from Blackwell last year. I was almost positive I had caught photos of him making a touchdown in a playoff game. He was one of what I call the line guys, and it wasn’t the norm for him to be a ball carrier, so I remembered it well. Plus, his mom was taking pictures right next to me and was ecstatic. When I questioned him, he told me that I had indeed caught him on film. He then went on to tell me that he wasn’t sure about the validity of the touchdown as my photo showed his knee was down. Oh my! A photo is worth a lot but a ref call is worth more. The ball could have crossed the line before his knee went down. I told him the game and rulings are over when my photos are posted so it was indeed a touchdown.
 
Loraine came to play. I covered them week one and I must say they are a different team with a season under their belts. Their defense was intense and play after play, they held Blackwell. The scoreboard definitely did not reflect their defensive skills except that they kept Blackwell from running up a large score before half. They had many sweet passes that came very close to completion. All in all, I was impressed and can’t wait to see what the future brings for them.
 
Blackwell has their Thing Two and Thing Three as I call them... better known as Brinkman and Lowry. They are two little guys that hustle. I actually requested that Means change number 3 to 1 last year. He asked me why and I told him that way they could be Thing One and Thing Two. He chuckled, I’m guessing he hadn’t thought of them like that before. The entire Blackwell team is a well oiled machine and they make winning happen game after game.

I missed halftime fun for a run to the truck for the extra layer of warmth. You know it’s chilly when I pull out the hunting camo. That was the little extra warmth I needed to finish the game out in comfort.
 
It was a great evening in Blackwell, as usual. The concession stand shining like a beacon in the night selling amazing food with excellent service. Friendly fans helping me find the warmest place to stand before the activities got under way. Friendly coaches always making us chuckle and a great sideline crew. It was nice to see the town celebrate together on the field after the game.
 
See you on the sidelines!