Commentary: Blackwell at Santa Anna

I arrived at Santa Anna’s football field before anyone had taken the field. I took the opportunity to sit at the end of the field on the pad where the high jump mats take up residence during track. It was a beautiful evening. A slight breeze was blowing and the temperature was in the high 80’s. Before long the padless Blackwell hornets jogged onto the field to begin warm ups. The Santa Anna Mountaineers would soon join them.
 
The cheerleaders sat up the stereo system and planted the Mountaineer flag beside the bell. I was able to get a really cool picture of the flag with the sun setting in the background. Sometimes it’s the little things that make my trip to various towns really cool.
 
As I was taking pictures around the field, I spied Coach Tom McVey walking across the field. He was flexing. I can only assume he wanted me to take a picture, but I wasn’t ready and totally missed the moment. Later he gave me a hug and welcomed me to Santa Anna. We had a really good conversation about a variety of subjects. I did notice that the football field grass was in excellent condition and rivaled that of the field in Sands. We also talked about how some seasons are “down” seasons and are largely character building. I could tell he really cares about his players.
 
Just prior to game start, I found Coach Lowry. I had been hearing he had a young but good Hornet team. Coach admitted he had mostly underclassmen on defense but his offense was made of some good seniors. He was very complimentary of his players and thought their play would take them pretty far this year. I wished him luck and went to find my spot on the sideline.
 
While the score was somewhat lopsided, I saw a Mountaineer team that kept fighting and never gave up. You just can’t teach that. The Hornets were pretty solid on both sides of the ball. Santa Anna was a great place to visit. Another Friday night under the lights and a long drive home, smiling and jamming to some good tunes.

Observations from my time at Santa Anna:

• The Santa Anna concession stand has carbonated drinks they serve in cups with ice. I was all about that!!!
• The Blackwell Hornet wore a pink ribbon and a football uniform. I, for one, believe ribbons and football go together! Loved it!
• The Santa Anna band played the Jeopardy theme song during timeouts. So appropriate and made me laugh out loud!
• Although Blackwell does not have a band, they do have a twirler. She put on a great halftime show! Excellent job!
• The Santa Anna Band showed their finest marching to American-themed songs; complete with American Flags. It was FABULOUS!
• Also at Halftime, the Blackwell cheerleaders entertained with an upbeat song and dance routine. Very well done!
• There are no better people than those from small towns. Santa Anna was certainly no different. Happy, welcoming folks who love their town!