Commentary: Northside at Jayton

 Last night’s extremely windy game between Northside and Jayton was shrouded in a bit of controversy. Northside sat the Varsity starters and played only the younger players. I have no idea how the game was reported to UIL, but I had a good time watching it!
 
First person I saw was Coach Josh Stanaland. He’s a really great guy and easy to talk to. Of course, I’ve known him since he was born. His mother and I used to play softball together in an adult league in Sweetwater. Wow… that was a LONG time ago. But I digress… Coach Stanaland is excited about the Jaybird’s hunt for a playoff berth. They are healthy and ready to take it to the next level. Benjamin and Guthrie will test them in the coming weeks.
 
I caught up with Coach Jeremy Reeder on the field a little later. Very pleasant and personable! We talked about how he was sitting his varsity to keep them healthy for the upcoming Chillicothe district battle to determine playoff spots. The Indians recently rebounded from a string of injuries and didn’t want to chance another string. Coach Reeder moved to Northside from Oklahoma earlier this year. Welcome to Texas and Sixman football, Coach!
 
Although it was difficult to stand and take pictures because of the gusty winds, it was a great Thursday for football. Who am I kidding? Any day is a great day for Sixman football! Because I try really hard to remain unbiased and cover as many 1A towns as I possibly can, my hometown of Jayton doesn’t get all the love. It is very nice to get to a Jayton game every once in a while. Who can fault me for that? It’s where I grew up… it’s what I know! One thing I’ve found is that all 1A towns and teams have unique traditions. I absolutely love witnessing the variety in each town. No two towns are the same. It’s pretty cool!
 
Observations from Jayton:

1. The Jayton concession stand serves handmade pizza (23 pepperonis on each pizza!) and pulled pork tacos with homemade Pico De Gallo. Both are fantastic!
2. The Indian mascot humored me with a picture. I hope she stayed warm because it got a little chilly toward the end of the game!
3. The Indians young squad who played last night fought until the bitter end. They never gave up and kept coming at the Jaybirds. I’ll say it again… you just can’t teach that!
4. The Jaybird mascot is quite an interesting story! She didn’t like the extremely old mascot costume… so she made one! Talk about talent!! This is year two for the new Jaybird mascot costume and it is pretty awesome. Kudos to you, Jasper Jaybird… that’s definitely leaving it better than you found it!

 
Be on the lookout! I’ll be coming to a 1A town near you! We have football now and basketball is ramping up. And never fear! If you are in a 1A town far away just know that I don’t mind driving.
 
Until I see you, 1A Fans… Go Forward and do GOOD!