South Panola

Wow, is this really our seventh city? Is there really just two weeks left? Hold on.... give me a second to count.

Yeah, I guess this the seventh city. Boy, time sure does fly by when you're having fun.

This week we are in South Panola, Mississippi. Actually we are in Batesville, Mississippi--Home of the South Panola Tigers. At least that's what the billboard says as drive down I-55 heading into town. But the football team here is so good, everyone in the area just refers to Batesville as South Panola. How do I know this?

Well it's because I know, first hand, how good the South Panola Tigers are. I was raised in Horn Lake, Mississippi about 45 minutes away. My school, Horn Lake High played South Panola every year. And of course, they beat us....every year. In 2002, When I was a senior in High School, Horn Lake made the playoffs for the first time ever. In the 2nd of the playoffs South Panola came to our field, beat us, and subsequently ended our historical season. I cried like a baby. Most of the town went into a deep depression for weeks.
They eventually went on to the state championship game...and lost!!

That was 2002. This is 2007. They have not lost a game since then. In 5 years they have compiled a record of 67-0 and pickup 4 state championships along the way. In that same amount of time, I went to college, put my high school football videos online, and then got the opportunity to be on The Line Of Scrimmage.
And now, we meet again. I get to come back home this week, only this time I am on the other side of the field.
Will South Panola be kinder to me this time around?
Will they win their 68th game?
Can Joey truly root for South Panola??

Destiny has brought us together, and only time will tell...

Day 1

Markuss and I got into town pretty late in the day so we didn't have time to do much. Luckily Markuss drove so I got to sleep the whole way there. We were pretty wore out after our week in South Carolina, but we were even more excited about seeing one of the best teams in the nation in action.

Once we did get to South Panola though, the truck was sick nasty. It still had mud on it from Lovington, sand from Martha's Vineyard, and a windshield packed with bugs compliments of the drive from Summerville. The first thing that we had to do was wash the truck. Now Markuss and I don't go those newfangled drive through car washes. No, we do it old school and wash it ourselves.
Well, I accidentally got a little water on me and then Markuss got excited and sprayed me down with water. Ugh.
I would have been fine with it, except then he wouldn't let me ride in the truck afterwards because he said I was too wet!! Can you believe that?!
By the time I jogged back to the hotel I was dead tired and passed out as soon as I got in.

Day 2

Our second day but first full day in South Panola started out like many others on our trip--breakfast with the local old-timers. And just like in Summerville, I was so happy to be back in the south because I was finally able to drink sweet tea again. Oh I had missed it so.
Now that I've seen all four corners of this beautiful country, I can honestly say that the only difference between the North and the South is the availability of sweet tea. Its true.
Go ask for some sweet tea up in Montana or Massachusetts and they'll look at you like you're crazy.
Or at least that's what they did to me...

Anyway, we met a group of the usual suspects: former alumni, radio broadcasters, boosters, and just huge fans for a roundtable discussion of all things South Panola football.
They were being relatively humble until Markuss let it slip out that I was from Horn Lake--a fact I was trying to keep on the down low this week.....
After the laughing died down some they really started to brag, but how can you blame them??
I mean come on, their school boasts the longest current winning streak in the nation and is on their way to an unprecedented 5th state title. The last time Horn Lake beat them was over thirty years ago. Unfortunately, I was not around to witness that alleged win. Sigh.
All joking aside, I gained a newfound respect for the South Panola fans. They have what every fan wants...a winning team. And boy are they a winning team.
Everyone knows what its like to wake up the day after a hard loss--Nothing is the same. The colors aren't as bright, food doesn't taste the same, life loses its verve.
Think about it, these people haven't had that feeling in half a decade!!
It'd be easy to dislike them if they weren't so gosh-dern nice! They know how fortunate they are to have such a good team, and they are very proud.
The question that we asked them over and over is what do they think is the cause of the winning streak, currently at 67 games.
We never got the same answer twice.
They varied from the painfully obvious: good coaching; to the strangely unique: cake day.

"Wait a second...Did Joey just say cake day??"
Yes. I did say cake day. What does that mean? I don't know!! It sounded intriguing (and it had Cake in the name!)
Not to worry, because we intended to find out. But not before we did some mud riding!!

Oh no, here we go again.

After the truck was thoroughly caked in mud and after a field was thoroughly turned into a mud pit, Markuss and I jammed on over to football practice to witness what was known as "Cake Day"

Markuss, as usual, was "Pumped" but I was very weary of walking into their locker room. I have been to South Panola before and I have lots of bad memories on their field and I felt like we were going into the belly of the beast.

When we walked in, I expected an atmosphere a lot like Steubenville in Week 1. Hollering, screaming, weights clanking, and pretty much just controlled chaos. What we saw was something oddly different. Of course there were human giants walking around, looking like they were bred for playing football and destroying opponents. Of course, there were screaming coaches as the players sweated through their grueling workouts. And of course there was that familiar smell of....whatever that smell is. But its in every locker room in America--go figure.
But what made these guys different from any other team that we've seen so far was the looks on their faces, their attitude. They were in there having fun. They were cutting up and laughing while they all encouraged each other on. They were having fun.
Sure they were preparing for the game on Friday, but they were genuinely enjoying themselves in the process.
It was refreshing to see.
After practice, they ended everything with a group prayer and a bus took most of the players home.

As the players were leaving we asked them about this so-called "cake day" and do they think it has anything to do with their success on the field.
Turns out, cake day is every Thursday after practice. After a week of hard workouts, the last practice before each game ends with Von, the longtime equipment manager passes out little cupcakes and all other types of assorted goodies. Each player gets their own bag of assorted goodies but each bag doesn't have every kind of cake in it. So some serious trading and bartering goes down in the field house each week. We asked if this little tradition had anything to do with their success...They said, come see for yourselves.
Would you tell them no??
Yeah, neither would we.
But until then, we had some BBQ that needed eating.

Day 3- Cake Day

Yo Yo Yo. Its Thursday. Its Cake Day. Its only one day til game day.

Markuss and I were so excited about cake day that we got up to the field house about 6 hours too early. No players were there yet, and the cakes were locked up in a secure location. The only people there were the coaches and Von the equipment manager. Von has Down Syndrome and has slurred speech. But he is not deterred in the least. He has been the equipment manager for the team so long that he has every state champion ship ring the team has ever won! He loves football, but more specifically he loves South Panola football. He passion is apparent and his enthusiasm is contagious. He loves South Panola and South Panola loves Von. Over the years he has turned into the unofficial mascot of the team, leading them onto the field every game for years completely decked out in face paint and dance moves. You can find him on the sidelines at every game motivating the guys when they're down and cheering them on when they're up. Lately though, there has been plenty to cheer about.
Von is an inspiration to everyone on the team and everyone in the town. Seeing him with the team, its impossible not to get a smile on your face.

We also talked with the coaches and asked them what they thought the reason for the winning streak was. You see, it's difficult to pinpoint the reason for their success. In places like Stubenville and Summerville its the traditions that the longstanding coaches put in place. In other places, it is a history-rich program that has traditions, but South Panola is different.
Coaches come and go (their head coach is in his first year at the school), the players come and go, and yet their winning streak continues to grow.

The coaches told us how most all the players on the team have never....ever...lost a football game. And the current 8th grade team is undefeated. These kids don't know what it's like to lose a game, and to be honest, they don't believe they ever will. That might almost be a bad thing if other teams didn't buy into it, but they do. The coaches said most teams lose the game the second they get off the bus.
But can you honestly blame the kids from South Panola? After winning 67 games straight and four consecutive state titles, its easy to have a little bit of confidence. Imagine playing a team that does not know how to lose.
When their players have an attitude like that, the coaches say, they have the easiest job in the world.

They also clued us in on the fact that most of the players on the team really are related. A lot of the boys are brothers and cousins, and more than a few share the same last name. Most of their older brothers, cousins, uncles, and fathers all played for South Panola at one time or another. That is some serious peer pressure! But they prefer to call it a support system.

Just as the conversation started to get deep, the players came in ready for practice. Three hours later, it was time for cake day. Once Von started passing out the plastic bags filled with goodies, the atmosphere changed. They take their cake serious. (ha ha that rhymes). There was hollering and trading, and I think one guy even traded his shoes for a honey bun! Markuss and I both made out with our share of cupcakes. Standing there, amidst the craziness I saw that the guys down in South Panola had a pretty good grasp on things. It would be easy for them to buy into their own hype, but they don't. They don't take themselves too serious. They're just out there having fun and loving life. Cake Day is a prime example of that.
And they just so happen to be winning a lot of football games in the process.

GAME DAY

Oh goodness. I couldn't sleep last night. I was so nervous about the game tonight that I couldn't sleep a wink.

Oh well, at least Markuss was well rested. How does he do it? I'll never know. I could get excited about what I'm going to eat the next day and forget to sleep..Its happened before.

So we ate a big ole breakfast, packed up our things, and headed for the field.
Estimated Time TIl Kickoff: 7 hours.

Well, maybe not that much time, but we were there early. You get the picture.
We've got to get the early, so we won't miss anything!! And so we can toss around the football and the trusty flying disc.

Some time later, we were completely wore out and covered in sweat and ready for a nap. But the first of the fans were just beginning to mill around the stadium. I always love to watch a football field go from completely empty to completely packed at game time. It is a sight to behold. Standing on the field this time was extremely special for me in so many ways. It brought back so many memories, things I thought I had forgotten. It was so strange standing there on the field of the team that only 5 years ago, I had considered my mortal enemy. Back in high school, I was doing the same thing that I'm doing now: walking around the football games with a camera in my hand. Only now, my audience is slightly bigger. Ha ha.
I had truly come full circle since that fateful day in November of 2002.
Never in a million years did I think I would be standing on that field doing was I was doing, but there I was, and I couldn't have been happier. I was proud to help showcase Mississippi football to the world. And I was happy to be home. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else in the world.

Not surprisingly, South Panola dismantled the Tupelo Golden Wave in familiar fashion and came away with another victory. Win number 68. I was happy for the guys. I never thought I would say it in my life, but after this week I am a fan of The University of South Panola. We were embraced by them this week in a way we didn't expect. They know and understand that football is not only a way of life, but it is also a game. I will be rooting for them for the rest of my life now.
I hope the streak never ends. That is, until they play Horn Lake next year.

[writer's note: after the time of writing this blog the Tigers went onto win another state championship and bring the streak up to 75 games in a row]

Summerville, SC

Day 1

Okay folks. I'm trying something a little different this week. Usually after everything is said and done, I reflect on the events of the past week. I'll leave that up to you guys to decide on whether or not that is a good thing.
This week, all bets are off. Everything is different this week in South Carolina. This week I will be writing as everything happens!!! Yeah I know, pretty exciting huh?
I know I'm looking forward to it. How about you?

So today is the first day in Summerville. Its just about lunchtime and all I can think about is eating a country fried steak smothered in gravy. Mmmm...
We are taking it easy here in Summerville, which is really not that hard to do. This place reminds me so much of home. The past few weeks we've been in New Mexico, Montana, and Massachusettes. But now, we are back in the south. Back in the heat. But most importantly...back where they serve sweet tea!!

This morning we stopped at a local diner and had a big 'ol breakfast. Whoo yeah. (If you can't tell, I'm kinda hungry right now). Then we strolled down the town square to the local barbershop. Markuss's hair has taken a turn for the worse recently and honestly, people are starting to talk. Don't act like you haven't noticed!!! Seriously, we have to let Markuss know these types of things. Its for his own good.
Anyway, we go to the barbershop, which just happens to be owned and operated by the biggest Summerville Green Wave fanatics in town. The place was filled with former players and alumni alike, who were more than willing to give us a full history of the Green Wave. I mean a FULL HISTORY. These guys can talk...But its okay because Markuss's hair was so bad that I might as well just set up a cot in there.

So if you didn't know, the head coach here in Summerville is Coach John McKissick. This man is over 80 years old and he has been coaching for over 50 years! If that wasn't enough, Coach McKissick has compiled over 500 wins in his career!! That is more wins than any other football coach in the sport....at any level. Think about that for a second.
Once your done thinking about that, add this in the mix: If the Green Wave come away with the victory this friday, it will be his 550th win!!! If you factor in that both teams this Friday have identical 6-1 records, i think we have the makings of a very exciting matchup. Oh boy I'm getting excited. Because of the game and because it also happens to be time for lunch!! Country Fried Steak, here I come!!!

Peace out. Until next time kids....

Okay boys and girls, I'm back...and I have good news.
The country fried steak was to die for! It was so good that Markuss even got it too. He usually refuses to eat the same thing as me just because he likes to be different. But this time, we both got to enjoy the wonderful southern culinary treat that is country fried steak. Okay I need to stop talking about that now, I might be getting you guys too excited. I know I'm getting excited over here.

So after a very satisfying breakfast and an even more satisfying lunch (I think I've had about two gallons of sweet tea by now) we hopped in the Tundra and headed for Summerville High School. The place is massive. With about 3,500 students in attendance, it is the largest high school in South Carolina. We hit the school right as classes were changing and it felt a lot like that cattle stampede we started in New Mexico. I had some major flashbacks and I started sweating so Markuss and I ducked into the gymnasium. It just so happened that we stumbled onto a PE class in progress. The best part was that they were practicing ping pong (or table tennis for all you politically correct people) and badmitton.

Oh yeah.
We picked up a couple racquets and Markuss and I had an epic battle there on the gym floor. 6 hours later we were covered in sweat and the whole gym class was cheering for us.
Not really, but let me tell you something....Markuss puts the BAD in Badmitton. The dude can rock that birdie. I was schooled big time. Quite embarrassing I must say.

Since we were already out of breath and covered in sweat, going outside in the sweltering heat and watching football practice was the only logical thing to do. But First we had to make a stop by the "Wave Cave". We walked the wave colored walls of Summerville to a storage closet used to hold merchandise and candy. This particular closet is better known as The Wave Cave! (insert dramatic music here).
The place is pretty intense. We grabbed a couple Green Wave t-shirts and headed onto the practice field.

Coach McKissick runs a very tight practice. He has about 12 coaches on staff. That may seem a bit excessive but its really not considering the fact that he has over 90 players on his squad. Coach McKissick does not cut players. The man is a living legend; he is known and respected nation-wide. So I feel I may be wasting my breath by talking too much about the man and his accomplishments. If you're interested, you should just read one of the many books written about him. Our very own local liason, Billy Baker, wrote two biographies on Coach McKissick. I will say that even at 80 years old, he is more active and involved on the field than most coaches half his age!

It was evident from the practice that the Green Wave are ready for the game this Friday. Although both teams will be 6-1 on Friday, if you ask the Summerville players, they are the favorites. And if Coach McKissick's records is any indication, The Green Wave could be 7-1 on Saturday morning.

I don't know. What I do know is that I need some sleep. But first.....Dinner!

Day 2

Well guys, it is 7 in the morning and I am sitting on a rocking chair on a giant wrap-around porch in Summerville, South Carolina. The sun is peeking over the trees, and the sweet tea is brewing in the kitchen. If there's one thing I am sure of, it is that Summerville has some of the best sittin in the Carolinas! They should advertise that fact.
I don't know what Day 2 will bring in this town but from the looks of things right now on this porch, today is going to be a good day.

Lets fast forward a bit. The time is now 10:15 on Thursday night. Markuss and I never got up from this morning and we are still on the porch right now. We got up once to go eat lunch but other than that we have been here on the porch and talking about football and Spanish moss. This porch is just great! It has everything. From noon til 3pm we sat on rocking chairs. And then around 3pm we moved over to the porch swing where we have spent the past few hours. I even fell asleep sometime after sunset. I'd have to say the best part has been the gallons of sweet tea that we have put down throughout the day....

Okay I had to stop, I was taking that story a bit too far. You folks didn't honestly believe we spent the WHOLE day on the porch do you?? Gosh y'all sure are gullible, you'll believe anything I tell you.
Although I would have loved to just sit on that porch all day, we had things to do!! Tomorrow is game day!! We've got a lot do to. Markuss really put up a fight but I wrestled him from that porch swing.

As we were leaving the greatest porch in the world the craziest thing happened. (And you know if I say its crazy, then it has got be crazy). We were walking down the sidewalk when I giant robot with wheels that looked like a half-man/ half-machine sped up to us. I screamed and jumped out of the way.
But it turns out that it wasn't a robot. It was a State Senator riding around on his Segway Scooter. Neither of us had even ridden a Segway before so we hopped on that thing and gave it a test spin.
Wow, is all I'll say.
You gotta try it! Seriously.

All of that South Carolina sitting we did really wore us out, so we had to go eat lunch. ha ha.

We then went over to Coach McKissick's house and talked to him and his wife for a while. They have to be the nicest couple in town, and their house.....oh my goodness.
I thought I was in the high school football hall of fame. That place is a shrine to football. Turns out, we were not the first people to hear about Coach John McKissick. He had framed copies of articles about him in USA Today hanging on his walls. Everything in their house had so much significance. Everything represented another milestone.
We stayed and talked for a while. Mrs. McKissick gave us a full history of Coach, the Green Wave, and Summerville.

Both of the Mckissicks are such amazing people, we were in complete awe.

This Friday could possibly be another milestone too--the 550th win. We would be so lucky to be able to witness it, but to Coach McKissick this Friday is just another game. Every time the man steps onto the field he breaks a record.
Its just mind-numbing to think about.
Now I'm actually getting a little sleepy.
I think that porch swing is calling my name. Get some rest people, tomorrow's game day!

Day 3

Ah yes, Game day. There's nothing else like it. Game day always holds so much promise. Its impossible not to make up excited on game days. Today was no exception. I woke up bright and early (11:00 am) and called Markuss right after I opened my eyes.

He didn't answer.

I called again. Still no answer.

Oh well...his loss. He was seriously missing out because I was going to get a chicken biscuit. Whoo baby I love me some chicken biscuits. It makes me want to do some Arkansas hog calling when I think about it.
So I went and ate my daily dose of eight chicken biscuits and by the time I finished Markuss was awake and ready to go.
And off we went. Our destination---Summerville High School.

Normally on game days we get to the field around noon and then we sit and wait for about five hours. Today though was a little different. You see, Summerville is so steeped in tradition that the Memorial Stadium where they play is over 50 years old. When the city had to build a new school they decided not build a new field and keep playing their games at Memorial Stadium. This requires the team to board buses at the school and ride, with a police escort, through town on the way to the game. All over Summerville, people stand on their front lawns waving at the buses as they drive by, cars pull over for the convoy and honk their horns. After witnessing this first hand, we saw that the Summerville Green Wave truly are the local celebrities.

Markuss and not only got to take part in this weekly tradition, be we got to lead the football parade through the town. It was a truly amazing experience to witness the pride that the people take in their beloved Green Wave.

We pulled up at the stadium right when things were starting to get good. The parking lot was just getting full, the booster club were selling t-shirts by the gate, and the smell of grilled burgers filled the air. Though the outside world is always changing, traffic constantly gets worse, and growth creeps in on sleepy Summerville, Friday nights at Memorial Stadium have been the same for 50 years. Coach McKissick and the attitude he brings to his teams are the constant. He is the common thread that runs through the veins of everyone in that town.      

Martha's Vineyard
 
Day 1
 
I looked out over the railing at the setting sun. The sky was filled with more colors than I could imagine. The air was crisp and the wind rustled my fresh haircut. Above a seagull flew by looking for its unsuspecting dinner. I looked down and the water was a deep blue and boats filled the harbor. It was a perfect fall day in New England. Then I looked over at Markuss, I could tell he was getting sea sick.
Okay, it was an almost perfect fall day in New England.
 
You may be asking yourself what we are doing on a boat. I mean, isn't this Toyota's Line Of Scrimmage?! Aren't Markuss and Joey supposed to be driving the Toyota Tundra truck across the country?
Well my friends, first of all we are on a ferry, not a boat! Get your facts straight!
And second of all. We would be driving the Tundra, but we can't. Where we're going, no roads lead. The only option was to ride a ferry. And don't worry, the Tundra is below deck, with all the other vehicles.
 
We are going to Martha's Vineyard. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride....
 
Markuss and I had never been to Martha's Vineyard before. But of course we had heard of it. Everyone has. The second you hear the words Martha's Vineyard you get an image in your head. You think of things like the Kennedy's, fishing, lobster, vacations, etc.. But I'd be willing to bet that football is not one of those things. We would soon find out a lot of things we didn't know about the Vineyard (which I will now refer to as, the Vineyahd).
 
So by the time we had got off the ferry Markuss had gotten pretty sea sick. He looked almost as pale as he did that time at the Lovington High pep rally. I agreed to just take it easy on our first day in the Vineyahd, so we headed to the hotel in hopes of relaxing. But right when we walked in the door we were met by local Renaissance man, Bob Tankard--who also happened to be our liaison this week. Bob (or "Tank" as he likes to be called) has done a little bit of everything. He has been at one time or another a football player, veteran, teacher, head coach, school principal, and most recently, a talk show host. Wow, that's a mouthful. Or maybe a handful, considering that I typed it.
Tank is nothing short of amazing. He has lived the lives of four people and he shows no signs of slowing down. Tank is also a walking history book of everything Martha's Vineyahd. He know's everybody and everything that has happened on the island for the past 50 years!!
I felt it was necessary to say all that about him because after only three minutes of talking to him in the hotel lobby, we realized that taking it easy was not going to be an option this week....and I couldn't wait!
 

The first thing Tank did was take us to a local seafood place that came highly recommended. We ate some type of fish that I can't even say the name of while we listened to Tank's stories about life on The Vineyahd. Normally, a person like Bob Tankard would be an exception. You know, someone who loves their home so much, that their face just brightens up as they talk about it. Someone who, as they walk down the street knows everyone on a first name basis. But Tank was not the exception on The Vineyahd, he was the rule. Everyone on the island shares a common bond. They are all islanders, they are all family. That was a fact that became evident to us right from the get-go.
 
Wow, day one was in the books and already I rode a ferry for the first time and ate some type of seafood for the first time. It was amazing!
The Vineyahd is a special place. And this was going to be a special week.
 
 
Day 2
 
Day 2 started just like most every day has started on our journey....super early!
The sun was just peaking over the horizon as we left the hotel, but we didn't know that--it was too foggy!! I've never seen anything like that New England fog in my life. At certain points in the day, you'll hear someone say "fog's comin." And then five minutes later you can't see across the street. It's wild.
But as the sun rose, so did the temperature-- and the fog was scared away for now. So we went on a tour through the island. We drove around with Tank as he showed us every corner of the Vineyahd. We saw Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Menemsha, Chapaquitic, Edgartown, the Gay Head cliffs, we saw everything. We visited some lobster fishermen and even helped them pull some out of the ocean. (And did you know that lobsters will eat each other?? I mean, I know they are tasty but come on!) We stopped for lunch and ate some sea scallops. We even went clam digging in the bay, which also happened to be another first for both Markuss and I. Clam digging was surprisingly relaxing. We just stood out there in the water for about an hour with a makeshift rake. We'd drag it across the sand and every once in a while we'd catch a clam. After we caught a few hundred clams (yeah thats right. Tank said it was just beginners luck), we sat on the beach and cracked those suckers open with a knife, poured some hot sauce on them, and scarfed them down.
 
Ok folks, I know what you're thinking...Why are these guys just lounging around, eating seafood all day?? This is about high school football!! I want my money back!!
Well don't worry guys, cause Markuss and I were thinking the same thing. I mean don't get me wrong , all this stuff is fun and all but I'm ready for some football!!
So we headed over to the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School and caught their last practice in pads before Friday's game.
 
After meeting the football team and watching their practice we realized why we spent the whole day touring the island before we even got to see the team. Because being part of a football team anywhere is a lot like living on an island. We had to get a feel of island life before we could appreciate what it was like to play football on The Vineyahd. Playing high school football teaches kids a lot of life lessons. They learn about what its like to be a part of a team. They learn about what its like to truly depend on their brothers on the team.
But the players on The Vineyahd football team already have learned those lessons from the day they were born. Living on an island, especially one like The Vineyahd, forces everyone who lives on that island to depend on each other for survival.
Once the kids are old enough to play for the high school, those ideals and lessons are already part of their lives.
 
Wow, okay. I'm not sure if any of that made any sense or not. Maybe its all that sea air making me talk wierd. I need some rest. Besides, tomorrow's game day...
 
Day 3 (Game Day)

Gosh The Vineyahd is so picture-esque. Sometimes I just get caught staring out into the distance for minutes at a time. Like those moments in the morning when the fog slowly retreats over the water and reveals all of the boats in the distance. Or standing there at the football field at dusk while a light mist is falling. Sometimes I just zone out while staring at nothing in particular. Its a good thing Markuss is around cause I was zoning out in the middle of the street this morning. Had he not snapped me out of it, I might not be typing this right now.

Which reminds me, this is game day sucka! But this is no ordinary game day. Today we can't get up to the field around lunchtime and sit there for hours on end like we normally do. We won't be able to heckle the opposing team as they get off the bus. Because today...we are the visiting team!!

Gasp!

Yeah that's right. You see, on The Vineyahd they don't have ordinary away games. They don't drive ten minutes down the road to play their crosstown rival. Heck, they don't even drive!! Just like anyone who lives on island, the Vineyahd boys have to get up early in the morning and catch the ferry to the mainland. But it doesn't stop there this week. Once they land, they have to take a bus an hour and a half away to Hull, Massachusetts.
And this week, so did we.

Traveling is such a big part of being a Vineyarder, and they know it. Everywhere they go, they feel like they have something to prove. Opposing teams sometimes think of the Vineyahd boys as a bunch of rich kids who don't know what real football is. All I have to say about that is, I feel sorry for those opposing teams. Most everyone who lives on the island are just normal people trying to get by in life. They are hard working, good people. And they stick together!

I'll be honest with ya, I slept on the way to the game after we got off the ferry. I didn't want to but Tank just wore us out this week. Jeez I was tired. But it was just a power nap. Cause once I woke up, we had reached our destination. I was awoken by the familiar smell of hot dogs being grilled out, or maybe it was Markuss shaking me and hollering "We're here! Get Up!" I'm not too sure. Either way, I was up, the hot dogs were being grilled, we were there, and the game was about to start.

I've gotta hand it to the Hull fans. They were very gracious hosts. As we drove up to the school they had a sign that said welcome Martha's Vineyard and Markuss and Joey. (well actually it said "Marcus." Ha Ha. Its not their fault that Markuss spells his name weird!) They were also very spirited! I've never seen so many shirtless people at a game in my life! And they knew how to tailgate. They had some of the best tailgating that we've seen on our journey.
Don't tell anyone but I secretly posed as a Hull fan so I could snag some free food. Oh come on! Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same thing!!

One more thing about Hull..They had to have one of the coolest fields we had ever seen. First off, there is a giant wind fan behind one end zone. That thing is huge! Also, the school and field is on the tip of a peninsula, so there is water behind both end zones. You can see the Boston skyline off in the distance and standing there during sunset watching the boats sail right past as a cloud of dirt rises from the field is definitely a site to behold.

Okay enough of that. The Vineyarders came in and unfortunately had to spoil the Hull fans' party. The took the early lead and never looked back. The dozens of Vineyahd fans that made the trip had plenty to cheer about the whole game. The entire week in Massachusetts definitely had a different feel than anywhere else we have been. It was without a doubt, a more personal experience. The island people are very close knit, and the football team is just an extension of that. Everyone in the stands Friday night had a relative or a friend on the field. They all had a personal stake in the game. The Vineyahd people look after each other, they have to. They depend on each other. They are a family.

And for one beautiful week, we were a part of that family.

Lovington, New Mexico

Day 1
As we left Montana, Markuss and I wondered what new experiences New Mexico would bring us on our journey into the heart of high school football.
Neither of us had ever been to New Mexico before so we had no idea what to expect.

Driving into Lovington we saw....well... not much. We could see the entire horizon before us and the straight highways literally disappeared into nothingness miles ahead of us. The flat land was dotted with oil pumps and the occasional farm but that was about it. Our first thought was, "what is there to do in Lovington?"
But if we've learned anything on our journey, it is that looks can be deceiving.

The one thing we knew for sure was that the people of Lovington really loved their football. They have always had a very successful football program and a shining example of that is the local hero, Brian Urlacher. While playing for the Lovington Wildcats he broke the record for most points scored by a single player in a game. And I may be wrong but I think he went on to play football after high school--I'm not sure though. Ole Brian never forgot his roots and he helped Lovington High purchase a brand new, state of the art, bright blue football field.

Yeah that’s right, a blue field.

That thing is unbelievable! It can be quite shocking in contrast to the pale green and blue landscape of the New Mexico countryside. The field literally sits on the edge of town and you can't miss it. I think it even gives off a blue glow that can be seen from space. The field is so new that the game this week will only be the second time that it has even been played on! We could tell from the looks of things that the game would be great but what about the rest of the week?? What were going to do?? What do the locals do?? Again, we wondered what there was to do in Lovington? So we set out to find out.

We were told that all Lovington has to offer is Wildcat football, cows, and oil. Well we already knew about Wildcat football so the other two things on the list were cows and oil.... I think you know what happened next. After visiting a working oil rig, which is without a doubt the second scariest moment of my life (second only to Coach Reno's workout), Markuss and I went to visit some cows.

After watching them for about an hour and a half we found out that cows are not very exciting animals. Seriously, they just stand there! These cows needed some excitement in their lives. So Markuss and I thought it would be a good idea to start running towards the cows and see if they'd like to play around with us. We took off running full speed, hollering, with our arms waving in the air-- our target: the herd.
Needless to say, the cows did not really like the idea of playing with us, so they took off running too! So here you have Markuss and Joey....in the middle of the New Mexico desert....chasing a herd of cattle. It was great.

Until they started chasing us.

Our little game quickly turned into something not too much unlike a stampede. A very scary and dangerous stampede. We kept running as the cloud of dust and horns grew increasingly closer to us until we got to the safe confines of the Toyota Tundra. We hopped in and since I was driving this week, we made a quick getaway just in the nick of time.

Maybe angering the local cattle population was not such a good idea for our first day in Lovington.

Day 2

Day two started out just like Day one ended-- with cows.
Only this time it was 7AM and we were at a dairy farm. How we got there, I'm not exactly sure, which is strange considering I was the one who drove.
Did I mention that I was feeling a bit nauseous? ha ha
In our search for something to do in Lovington we thought we should make amends. Anyway, one thing led to another and before I knew it Markuss and I were face to face with the swollen udders of a genuine New Mexico dairy cow.
Although this cow wasn't too thrilled about being there, she was much more friendly than the angry herd from yesterday.

We were given a short briefing on the proper way to milk the cow and then we were on our own with two stools and a bucket. I went first and Markuss soon joined in once he saw it was safe. I have to say, this was the first time I have ever milked a cow and it was much easier than it looked!
I mean, it was just like playing an instrument. An instrument that also happened to shoot milk out of it when you played it. Once we got a few dozen gallons we called it quits and went on a bit of a tour of the dairy farm.

When we finished it was just about lunchtime. I suggested Chick Fil-A.

After lunch we were driving along the endless Lovington roads and we heard music off in the distance. As we drove the music got louder so we decided to pull a Toucan Sam and head towards it. The source of the music was a shed in someone's backyard in the middle of nowhere. We went in to check it out and it just so happened that there was a band inside. And get this: the band members were Lovington Wildcat football players! How crazy is that??
What's even more crazy is how hard we proceeded to rock out with them. I had to sit down from all the rockin’! They were all super nice guys and they even gave us a CD they made.
Oh, and they gave me a root beer, which basically means I am now their best friend forever.

We asked the fellas what exactly there was to do in Lovington...besides football and now, rockin’ out.
They said they like to something called mudbogging. What happened next changed my life forever.
I actually don't think I can even talk about in the same blog as this one. Mudbogging was so unnecessarily awesome that it deserves its OWN blog....

Mudbogging

Okay. Now I don't know how many of you have ever done what is known as "mudbogging" before but I never have, until now.
Basically, this is what it takes to "mudbog."

A truck.

Some mud.

And a driver crazy enough to do it.

Its pretty simple.
There are other things that may be recommended but not required, such as a secondary vehicle to pull you out when, err.. I mean IF you get stuck.
But we had experienced mudboggers with us today, so we felt pretty comfortable.

Like I said earlier, I was driving this week so.....yeah. I got to drive. Ha Ha Yes!
Markuss was riding shotgun and our buddies on the team were in the back cheering me on. I slowly pulled off the road and up to the giant mud pit.
My knuckles were white on the steering wheel and my heart was beating out of my chest. I looked over at Markuss and he asked me, "have you ever done anything like this before?" I could tell that he was scared out of his mind but he was trying to mask it with confidence. He looked as if he wanted to get out of the car but it was too late. We had passed the point of no return. I knew he needed my reassurance that everything would be okay. He desperately needed comforting. So I reached deep down inside of my soul and pulled out a "umm...yeah." But it did not have the effect that I wanted it to. Probably because the response I squeaked out sounded something like that of a 12 year boy who just hit puberty. Markuss's eyes watered a little bit; he just turned his head back and looked straight ahead.

I too looked straight ahead at the bubbling pit of mud and I could hear it calling me...taunting me. The mud didn't think I could do it. As I stared at the mud I could hear all the people over the years who put me down. I could hear the kids in elementary school picking on me because I liked to draw Mickey Mouse cartoons. I could hear my little league baseball coach telling me I sucked and making me sit on the bench. I could hear it all. I could hear them laughing. I could see their faces, and I became filled with rage--a boiling rage. Soon I started to hate the mud.
This was no longer just some fun activity, this was a defining moment for me. I had something to prove.

I looked at Markuss one more time and I looked at the boys in the back screaming their heads off.
I took a deep breath and just hit the gas. Everything got quiet at that point. I could only hear the muffled screams in the back seat and my heart beating. The world slowed down and I had tunnel vision.
Mud was flying everywhere and I was just doing my best to keep control. It felt like the truck was flying and I think at one point we were even off the ground.

We got through the pit without getting stuck and as I came to a sliding stop the world went back to real-time. I looked around and all the guys in the truck were just giggling like little girls...including me. It was the best feeling in the world!!
Of course, the first thing we had to do was jump out and survey the damage. Our beautiful shining black stallion of a truck was now completely covered and dripping with the worst smelling mud in the world! The entire truck was brown!!! We stared at it in disbelief.

We all looked at each other and we knew what we had to do next...DO IT AGAIN! AND AGAIN!!
About seven mud baths later we were finished. It was the single greatest experience of my life. I became a man out there that day. I was now a Mudbogger.

Now the only thing left to do was wash the truck....

Montana Day 1

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to tell you about our experience in Helena, Montana. The landscape is so beautiful and unlike anything I have ever seen. It takes my breath away just thinking about it. It is called Big Sky Country, and that title could not be more accurate. Huge would be an understatement!

Like I said above, the natural beauty of the area is beyond compare. Being from the South, I have never seen the Rockies before, which was just one of the many "firsts" for me on this trip. Once we drove into the town we were blown away by how clean the whole town was. We couldn't find a weed if we wanted to. Believe me, we looked. And everyone in the area was so laid back; no one there got in a hurry for anything. This was a welcome change as compared to the past couple of weeks. We could tell in just a few minutes that this stop on our journey was going to be special.

Ok, enough of that, time for some football!!!! Lets get down to business. Just like last week in Texarkana, the game this week is a rivalry game. I'm sorry, let me correct that, this is not just a rivalry game. This my friends, is Crosstown! Two teams, one city.

The game each year is a matchup of the two high schools in Helena, Capital High and Helena High. Both teams have an illustrious past but Capital High has put together an impressive string of state championships in recent years. Last year, the Crosstown game went into triple overtime, with Helena emerging as the victor. Later that season, in the semi-finals of the state playoffs, Capital was able to overcome a 0-17 halftime deficit and exact their revenge on their way to state title. The Capital players said that game meant more to them than winning the state championship! This was the kind of rivalry that you could really sink your teeth into (that is, if rivalries were physical things. Oh well, it sounds good). The game this week was all about football. It was all about pride.

Oh no, it was only Tuesday and already we were itching for some football. I begged Markuss to camp out with me on the field this week, but as soon as the sun went down and the temperature dropped, I quickly settled for the hotel. I found out It IS freakin cold up North!! Even in September!! Geesh.

So after a full night's rest, and a full belly, Markuss and I decided that it was time to go soak up the great outdoors. On our drive I think I figured out why everyone is so laid back in Montana-- everything is so far away! Its basically like thirty minutes to anywhere. But the good part is we get to see some beautiful scenery on the way so it is totally worth the drive! After marveling at the mountains for a while we could see a shining body of water off in the distance. It looked like an oasis in the middle of an even bigger oasis! (thats how awesome this place is). Turns out, that was our destination! It was a place called the Gates Of The Mountains-- a river turns into a lake at the end which is completely surrounded by rocky cliffs on either side. Apparently cliff diving into the water is a popular past time but luckily I was able to get out of doing it by saying I forgot my swim suit. Whew.

We met up with our tour guide for the day and we proceeded to follow him out to one of his favorite watering holes for a little fly fishing. I was so excited before I remembered that I don't even know how to normal fish, let alone fish while I'm flying!!

As we pulled up to the creek on the side of a mountain my heart began beating fast. I looked over at Markuss and he was just having a good ole time. He thought my lack of fishing experience was funny. Like seriously I have only been fishing about three times in my life, give or take a few times. Nonetheless we put on our waders and vests. There was only one pair of boots available and I won a four hour rock, paper, scissors tournament to get to wear the boots. We were given a quick tutorial on how to cast our line-- something long the lines of ten and two, or was that when lunchtime at The Parrot was scheduled? I didn't know, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and not much else. But as we started to make our trek through the bushes towards the creek I did manage to make a "Oh Yeah, look out for rattlesnakes down there!" from up above. That was the last straw as far as my mental stability was concerned. I blacked out after that, I couldn't tell you much else as to what happened down there. Maybe Markuss could be of more help in that department.

After they pulled me from the water I felt much better. Although we didn't catch anything, I think I can still say that we have officially earned our fly fishing merit badges! We agreed that fishing was just too stressful and headed back to the Gates Of The Mountains for a little ferry ride.

Now a nice relaxing boat ride, I can handle that. We boarded the ferry and before it took off the Capital High cheer team hopped on, which I thought was a bit strange but oh well. Then, two seconds later the Helena High girls showed up and joined us. (I guess they heard we were in town). Having the opposing teams' cheerleaders together on one boat made for an interesting ride. The tension was thick, I'll tell you that much. There was no love lost between these two squads. (Not really, they were all very nice and got along well considering the circumstances). We managed to get them to take a break on the constant cheering and just enjoy the mountains. It was quite the memorable afternoon!

After all that drama on the boat, Markuss and I wanted to try and relax at The Parrot. It is the town's local soda fountain. They make old fashioned sodas and they make all of their own candy there!! The place is basically heaven on earth. Not long after we settled down at the bar for some desserts, the girls showed back up and they were still at each other's throats!! We told them to settle their differences with a good old-fashioned soda drinking contest! We thought it was a great idea until they wanted us to participate.
After two rounds of soda gulping madness, Capital had won but Markuss's stomach was not doing well. I'll just leave it at that.

We had to get away from those crazy girls so we drove up to RB's drive-in for some burgers and fries. That turned out to be the best idea we had so far. The food was awesome and we also happened to run into some Helena and Capital football players. They were all the nicest guys anyone would ever meet. Though its safe to say that they're not exactly friends, they have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.

I was so tired by now that I could've passed out in the RB's parking lot but luckily Markuss was driving this week and we made it back to the hotel safely. Goodness, what an action-packed day!! As I savored the last seconds of the day, I wondered what tomorrow would bring. I wouldn't have to wonder long since tomorrow was only a couple of hours away.

Montana Day 2

We started the next day in Montana bright and early. No wait, it was earlier than that. The sun hadn't even come up yet. Ugh. I tried to sleep in but Markuss practically broke my door down to get me to wake up.

We drove for thirty minutes through the mountains and just as the sun started to appear over the rocky peaks, we arrived at the ranch home of the Bignell family. Brian Bignell is a player for Capital High. He and his brother both played together on last year's championship team. This year Brian is a senior and looking forward to another possible championship. We wanted to know what life was like for a football player in Montana, and Brian Bignell was more than happy to show us. Aside from his schoolwork and football, Brian is a real-life rancher. He and his family raise and sell cattle. He told us that he's been late for football practice before because he was stuck on the side of a mountain helping a cow with a broken leg!!

It was freezing ouside! Being from the South, anything below 90 degrees is jacket weather for me. So 40 something degrees at 7am is just too much. Before breakfast, Brian showed us the proper way to saddle a horse but she was a bit cranky so we thought it best that just Brian ride her. One of Brian's favorite activities is bow hunting elk. He wakes up every morning at the crack of dawn just to do some elk calling. He let both of us give it a try but I think we just sounded like sick baby velociraptors. Of course, you can't bow hunt without a bow and arrow. Markuss was practically begging to try it out and he did a pretty good job once he got to shoot it. Almost hit the bulls eye. It was different story when I got ahold of the bow. First of all, I had no idea how hard it is to pull those things back. Brian and Markuss did it with ease but it took me about ten minutes!! After a couple of hours I was ready to shoot the arrow. I took direct aim at the target, closed my eyes, and shot the arrow. I didn't see it so I still think they're exaggerating, but they said I overshot the target by about 20 feet. After I shot it I looked over at Markuss and Brian and their jaws were dropped open. Brian thought it best that we put the bow away and do something safer....like eat breakfast.

Brian and his family have to be the nicest people that we have ever met. They welcomed us into their home and his mom even made us pancakes for breakfast!! We sat in their house looking at the Montana sunrise while they sat around the breakfast table and told stories of ranching, bull riding, and of course football. Eat your heart out Cracker Barrel!

It was a wild morning on the Bignell ranch. We played with the horses, admired a belt buckle trophy case, called for elk, and I almost killed someone with my bow skills....And it wasn't even lunch yet!!
That was about all the activity we could take for one day. So we went back to The Parrot and tried to recuperate for the game tomorrow. We were going to need all the energy we could get!

Montana Day 3

That’s right ladies. Its Day 3, and that can only mean one thing. Game Day!! Normally I don't get any sleep the night before the games but I was pretty wore out after the day at the ranch. Markuss and I both got plenty of sleep!! We were well rested and ready for some football. But first we had to take the Tundra by The Parrot one more time for some chocolate covered caramels. Oh gosh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! The Parrot is a magical place. I dream about it every night. I think I will name my first child The Parrot.

Okay, that’s taking it a bit too far...my third child sounds better.

So we made it to the field for our normal pregame ritual of sitting for hours and waiting for the game to start. Usually we're the only ones at the stadium that early in the day but that was not the case in Helena.
It was 11:30 in the morning and people were already at the stadium. Turns out, good seats are hard to come by at the crosstown game so parents and fans come the stadium hours before the game and duct-tape blankets to the stands in an attempt to reserve seats. The tradition also has a second purpose. The blankets used to reserve seats come in handy on those bitter cold Montana nights-- Especially when the field is covered in snow!

Markuss and I walked every inch of the grass field, which we have found to be falling the wayside of artificial turf on fields all across the country. The field was in great condition, the air was crisp...we were ready for the game to start!! The time was now 1:00pm. *sigh*

In no time though, the parking lot began to fill with Bengal and Bruin fans alike. Soon, two competing tailgate parties took shape outside the stadium. And let me tell you, Montana folks know how to tailgate!! We spent the better part of two hours getting our eardrums pummeled by unnecessarily loud car stereos and shoving our faces with hot dogs and hamburgers! We were pumped beyond belief so we brought the party to the stands.

The home and opposing sides of the field were packed with fans. They were covered in body paint and screaming at the top of their lungs; the game hadn't even started yet! It was electric out there! Luckily, the game finally started and things just got more crazy!

The game was great, but it didn't turn out so well for the Helena High Bruins. Capital came away with a dominating victory. The loss didn't deter the Bengal fans because they were just as loud at the end of the game as they were before kickoff. Brian Bignell had a big night for Capital and his whole family were sitting together in the stands cheering for him. After the game the Capital fans stormed the field and had a massive post game celebration on the 50 yard line.

All of the people in Montana really showed us something this week. They showed us how to enjoy life. If the people of Helena aren't working or at school, they're outdoors. They love nature, they love life, and they take immense pride in their communities. The crosstown game was just an extension of their way of life. Their rivalry isn't about hatred, its about pride. Even when the game was clearly out of reach for Helena, the fans were still having a good time. That is what high school football is all about-- everyone from the town coming out to have a good time and celebrating the best about their communities. The good people from Montana know it, and they live it.

Texarkana Day 1 and 2

Hello there my friends. It’s Joey again with another edition of The Line Of Scrimmage weblog. This week Markuss and I made the trip to Texarkana, Arkansas. This week Markuss and I made the trip to Texarkana, Texas. That's right, I had to say that twice. But only because Texarkana is no ordinary city. In essence it is one city, with one big state line cutting straight through the middle of it. One side of the city is in Arkansas while the other side of the city is in Texas. And when I say right down the middle of, that is no exaggeration --State Line Road that runs straight through the center of town is literally the State Line. Like if you are going one way down the street you are in Texas, if you turn around then you are in Arkansas. It’s pretty wild. The giant water tower that we saw from the interstate said, "Texarkana, twice as nice". They even have two of everything here. Two mayors, two sheriffs, and most importantly-- two football teams.

Every season for almost a century the Arkansas High School Razorbacks take on their archrival, the Texas High Tigers. Both schools have always had success on the football field and they have both won their respective state championships before. But of course anyone in Texarkana will tell you that the only game of the season that means anything is the Texarkana vs. Texarkana game. It is one of the biggest -- if not most unique -- rivalries in the country.

Markuss and I heard about a great burger joint in town named Old Tyme Burger Shop, and we had to stop in and grab a bite to eat. Since it was around 7 in the morning when we got there, we decided that maybe we should stick with breakfast food. Our local tour guide, David Pope, recommended that we try "the special". So, as Markuss put it, we got "two heaping piles" of the special. After eating it, we knew why it was called the special. Oh boy that had to be some of the best eggs and bacon I've had in my life!! Markuss's plate was so clean we he was finished, they didn't even need to wash it! (Though I'm sure it got washed eventually). We met a lot of really nice people in Old Tyme, all of them huge football fans. We met some former players and cheerleaders, school principals and even a former coach. While talking to them, we were given a history lesson on the rivalry between the two Texarkanas. Although everyone was very friendly and got along well, it was obvious that come game day, things change.

By now it was inevitable, we had to pick sides. Naturally, I chose the Texas High Tigers and ole Markuss went with the Razorbacks. It worked out because Markuss eats like a pig.... and I look good in orange. Ha ha. Seriously though, that boy inhales his meals!! It’s kind of scary.

After being on the road for a couple weeks, Markuss's hair had gotten a bit out of control. Our new Texarkana friends agreed and they sent us to a place called Reggie's. Reggie has been cutting hair for years and he is apparently The Barber of Texarkana. Reggie and his wife greeted us at the door and automatically rushed Markuss back into the chair. Luckily for all of us, they understood the urgency of the situation. Seriously, his hair was getting out of control. I don't think I could have taken another day of it. After hours under the clippers, Markuss started to resemble a human again. We talked to Reggie for a while and according to him the rivalry between the two schools used to be a bit more heated (when I say heated, I mean violent) in the past than it is today. We heard some stories, which I don’t think, are appropriate to talk about here. But I will tell you this... ah never mind.

The next day we woke up bright and early for a showdown at the state line.

Markuss and I agreed that even though we were enemies for this game, that we could still talk to each other and be cordial--at least while the cameras were on. But that all fell through when we arrived at the post office on the state line.

It was bright and early and the Tundra had never looked better. As we were driving around town, we were turning some serious heads, taking rubberneckin' to a whole new level. I think it had to do with my new sideburns. They're pretty rockin. So... we pulled up to the post office and parked the Tundra right on the state line. The driver's side was in Texas, of course. We were standing there in the morning sunlight admiring downtown Texarkana when all of a sudden a gardener came out and started pulling weeds from the post office flower bed. We soon noticed that he was only pulling weeds from the Arkansas side of the flower bed!!! Markuss thought this to be extremely funny but I was not amused. One thing led to another and after awhile we were at each other's throats. Our tour guide David Pope said we should settle our little dispute the way everything is settled in Texarkana-- Thumb War!

Since the game was still a day away we both agreed and soon the Thumb War was underway. We locked hands right there on the state line, did the ceremonial "I declare a thumb war", and went at it!! I found out during our scuffle that Markuss's fingers are decidedly fatter than mine. Hopefully what I lacked in size I could make up with in quickness. We hit each other with little jabs, just testing the waters until we both went in full throttle. We went back and forth in a heated battle that lasted for what seemed like hours. Soon sweat was pouring from both of our heads, and a crowd started to gather. We had supporters from both sides there cheering us on. The crowd quickly grew in numbers, and the two most vocal supporters just happened to be the towns' two mayors!! I think someone was even there selling popcorn! I saw Markuss's thumb falter for a second and I jumped in for the kill. I double-faked him and came around from the right side pinning his mammoth thumb, giving me the win! My Texas brethren erupted in raucous, "Orange and White" cheer. It was probably one of the Top 5 greatest moments of my life. I could not wait for Friday! Once Markuss was revived, all he could talk about was how the outcome of the game would be different. Only time would tell.

MARKUSS INTERJECTS: Now I am ashamed to say that I went 0-2 during this exciting match. I am a very competitive person and take losing very personal. Yes, even in thumb wrestling, I just hate losing. I believe Joey had an unfair advantage though. I know you are probably thinking “what a sore loser.” Just hear me out. I don’t know what type of hairspray he uses on that do of his. It was like holding a greased monkey jacked up on coffee. So I am here to send a challenge out to Joey. I want a re-match; best two of three and without the hairspray funk.

Okay, it’s me, Joey, here again.

By now we had become local legends in Texarkana, we were now forever part of the storied rivalry.

We decided to cool off for a while and head on over to the local radio station where we met Mr. Al Hanna, the Texas High radio broadcaster for over 40 years! Mr. Al has seen just about everything there is to see on the football field. He is a walking history book on the Texas/ Arkansas rivalry. We did a radio interview with him on his morning sports show. We talked about everything from the awesome BBQ at Big Jakes to Markuss's new haircut. Mr. Al went a little easy on Markuss, considering Markuss is the Arkansas fan. Oh well... We had to go back to the hotel and get some rest because tomorrow would be one of the wildest days of our lives.

Texarkana Day 3

The alarm went off. I blinked a couple times. I yawned, then hit snooze. Ten minutes later the alarm went off again. The morning light poured in through the open window. I raised my eyelids, looked around the hotel room and I thought to myself, "This is it. Game Day."

Pretty Intense eh? Yeah, I thought so.

So Markuss and I couldn't watch Remember The Titans again this week because we had to get to Texas High for an early morning Bacon Fry. Since my Texas boys are playing Arkansas tonight, it only seems natural to start the day off with a little bacon.... Okay, a lot of bacon. Eighty pounds of it total. I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes, I ate at least twelve pounds of it. The atmosphere at the bacon fry was amazing. Especially considering it was seven in the morning!!

When we pulled in the Tundra they already had the grills blazin' and the Tang pourin'. Oh yeah, you heard me-- they had Tang, lots of it. For some reason, Tang and me have never crossed paths before that fateful morning. But it was love at first sip! That stuff is amazing! I don't know what's in it and I don't care!! Did I mention that it makes your tongue orange?! So not only does it quench my thirst, but it also made my mouth spirited! (I sure am using a lot of exclamation points in this paragraph!!)
After a while, the student body began showing up and an all-out party in the morning dew ensued. I've never seen such excitement that early in the morning before, other than myself on Christmases, but that's a whole other story altogether.
A good time was had by all and even Markuss was starting to see that Texas High wasn't all that bad. I could tell that his blood still ran red with Razorback pride.

MARKUSS HERE AGAIN: I would like to let everyone know that I did not enjoy the Bacon Fry. I will be a Razorback till the day I die. Woooh Pig Sooey Go Razorbacks! I would like to send a special thanks to David Pope, who is the man, for teaching me that chant.

Okay, back to me, Joey.

Maybe it was all the bacon, maybe it was all the Tang, maybe it was the Tundra, I don't know; but the Texas crowd started getting rowdy. They were all jumping around and chanting, it was wild. You would've thought that the game was about to start!! Then, right as they were really hitting their stride...the bell rang.
Time for class to begin.

Markuss and I were invited to be special guests on the Texas High school morning news, aka: Tigervision. Without hesitation we hopped in the Tundra and put it in Drive. That's when we found out that the TV studio was on campus. I did some circles around the parking lot in an attempt to make my mistake not so obvious.
Before I knew it we were sitting at the anchor desk surrounded by cameras in the Tigervision TV studio, which I must say is quite impressive. Totes. We did an interview and explained that we were basically there in town to rock the house and see some great football. But we said it much more eloquently than I did here just now. We were given a standing ovation by the high school crew, it was pretty touching. I'll admit it, I cried....a lot.

Before I knew it Markuss and I were standing in front of every student at Texas High on the middle of the gym floor. My ears were already ringing from almost a straight hour of screaming and yelling. It was the pep rally-- the excitement filled the room and was almost spilling out into the streets. Minutes earlier the band was jamming, the fans were dancing, and there was even a pig kissing contest!! I won't delve too much into the details of the pig-kissing contest. Partly because that is a part of my life that I'd rather put behind me.

So back to right now. Markuss and I are standing on the gym floor surrounded by everyone in the school. We were selected to be the special guest judges of the "loudest class" contest portion of the pep rally. First off, the Seniors squared off against the sophomores. Although it may have appeared to be close, the Senior class came away with the victory and moved on to the final round. Next, the Juniors and the Freshman tried to out-spirit each other. The Freshmen were too powerful in numbers for the Junior class and moved on to the final round where they would face the mighty Senior class. The Freshman and the Seniors each had an opportunity to blow out or eardrums; and after a very close final round the Seniors (of course) emerged victorious in the spirit contest. Don't fret underclassmen, those spirit contests are always biased towards the Seniors. You'll have your day.

Immediately following the pep rally we took off for the sight of the night's big game-- Razorback stadium. We arrived about four hours before game time and the parking lot was already halfway full when we got there!! Not really but it wouldn't have surprised us. We set up an interview with the Arkansas High Head Coach and on the way to his office we had to walk through the locker room. Normally that would not be a big deal, and for Markuss it wasn't. But me on the other hand....

Having just left the Texas High pep rally, I was about as pumped up as a human could possibly be. I also still had on all of my Texas High gear and tiger face paint. For some reason unbeknownst to me, I thought that taunting the Arkansas players in their own locker room was a good idea.

It wasn't. I'll just leave it at that.

After the paramedics left, we sat down for an interview with the Arkansas Razorbacks Head Coach Bill Koepple. He was a very nice man and we could tell that he was truly honored to be the Coach of the Razorbacks. Coach Keopple does his best to let his team know that the Texarkana/ Texarkana game is just another game on the schedule. Of course he knows that there is only so much he can do when 18 years of upbringing tells the boys otherwise. He also had a giant cookie cake in his office, and we hadn't had lunch yet... I think you get the picture. I love cookie cake. Well, basically I love cake in general, but cookie cake takes the cake (pun intended).

As we emerged from the field house we saw that the once empty parking lot was already filling and a line had formed outside the gates. In many other places that would not be such a big deal but Texarkana was a bit different. This game had been sold out since Tuesday. Once the game sells out, no one else is allowed in. Also, the seats were all numbered so everyone there already had a reserved seat. These people that were standing in the parking lot three hours before the game were there just for the sake of being there three hours early. I love it.

In what seemed to us like minutes later, Markuss and I were standing at our respective school's tunnels. The cheerleaders were with us, the football teams were behind us, 10,000 fans were in front of us, and we were holding up the banners that two teams would run through on their way to the field. After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem by the Arkansas band, the players exploded through our banners, and the game got underway. The atmosphere at the stadium was unbelievable. As we stood in the end zone and looked at the field, we could see 5,000 screaming fans on either side; one side orange, one side red.

The game started with a Texas touchdown but the Arkansas fans were not deterred in the least. Maybe it had something to do the T-shirt cannon firing into the stands. Luckily for the fans, the Arkansas players were not deterred either! Even though Texas held their lead throughout the half, the Razorbacks stayed on their heels and scored a late touchdown as halftime came around. Arkansas had the momentum going into the locker room.

The game stayed just as even the entire second half. Our poor defenseless throats, they never stood a chance. The game was amazing. The fans never had a chance to sit. It became obvious that the game would come down to the final seconds, and boy did it ever. At one point Arkansas took the lead, then Texas scored to tie it up. Arkansas had the ball on the final possession. They quickly drove down the field, and with only seconds left, they had one final chance to score and win the game.
The Arkansas QB launched the ball downfield, the clock hit zero, everyone held their breath, players from both teams leapt for it in the end zone and then....

(Sorry about that, I was getting too excited. I had to take a bathroom break and eat dinner. Ok, back to the story.)

And then the ball was intercepted in the end zone!! The game was over!! A tie. According to Arkansas rules, a non-conference game cannot go into overtime, so the game ended without a winner for the first time in over 60 years. Right after the interception, all of the energy that had been building up throughout the week all the way up to that point was gone. All of the tension and hatred had disappeared. The rivalry game between the Texarkana’s would have to wait until next year to crown a new winner. The game, and the State Line is truly what tears the town apart, and yet brings them together. The only thing left to decide was where to eat dinner.

I need a nap.

See you in Montana. Thanks Texarkana. Thanks Texarkana.

-Joey

Steubenville- Day 1

As Markuss and I rolled into Steubenville on the first day, we were hit with a strange feeling. It was one I could not immediately explain and to be honest with you I was quite terrified. At first I just felt very hot and I started sweating (which if you know me is not all that strange). But next I started to break out in these Big Red bumps. I looked over at Markuss in the driver's seat and to my horror, he was afflicted with the exact same symptoms! So we stopped and explained our condition to the first group of people we could find. They just laughed at us and said that we had what was commonly known in Steubenville as Big Red Fever.

Hopefully by now you have realized that I am completely joking about our alleged symptoms but I am here to tell you that Big Red Fever is very real....and very serious! Like I said earlier, the moment we drove into Steubenville it was obvious that something special was in the air. We could see it everywhere.

After a quick meal at Naple's we followed the proverbial "Bat Signal" to the unofficial town square of Steubenville, Ohio--Harding Stadium. For those of you who have never been to Harding Stadium, first of all shame on you! (Just kidding). But seriously it is without a doubt, a very beautiful place. Harding Stadium, or Death Valley, as it is affectionately called, sits atop a hill and is completely enclosed by bleachers on all sides. The field itself (named Reno Field after the current living-legend head coach, Reno Saccoccia), is made up of some type of space-age, NASA-engineered turf. Of course I don't know that for sure but I would be willing to pay someone to find out.

The southeast corner of the field is where the scoreboard can be found. Now you must know, this is no ordinary high school-level scoreboard. This thing is humongous!!  Not only is it a scoreboard, but it also features a jumbotron that shows the entire game from multiple angles. If that was not enough, sitting atop the monstrous scoreboard is a twelve-foot-tall hydraulically powered horse named Man-O-War that shoots flames from its mouth after every touchdown!! I am going to say that again because I think it bears repeating. It shoots flames from its mouth after every touchdown!! Now don't think about that for too long because you may injure yourself if you devote too much brain power trying to visualize it. Since it was only Tuesday when we first saw it, we had to wait two more days until we could see it in action. At that point I was already on the verge of collapse, but little did I know that this would all pale in comparison to what would happen next....

As we walked up to the Cartledge field house, we could hear the clanking of metal inside, we could hear the screams of the players and coaches, and we could smell the twenty-year buildup of sweat. But when we finally got the courage to actually open the door and walk inside, we could feel the passion-- and we could feel the history. The high school field house is a sacred place, but in Big Red country, the field house is a shrine to all the Big Red players of the past and present. Every Senior who played football all the way back to the 1900s has their named inscribed onto a brick in the locker room. They even had to modify the lockers so all the names could fit. But it doesn't stop there. Enough quotes are written on the wall to fill a book! I could spend a week in the field house and still not see everything there is to see. Enough about that, let's go back to what we saw the moment we walked into the field house.

Markuss and I walked in on what the football players, coaches, and staff happen to call "morning workouts." I call it the scariest experience of my life! Just kidding, but it was rather intense. The room was filled to the max with every player and coach on the team all screaming at the top of their lungs while they were throwing around more weight than I could even think about! Markuss, having played high school football, was enthralled, while I hid in the corner and prayed no one would yell at me! As we were standing there watching Coach Reno and his staff mold boys into men, I realized that we were in the epicenter of Big Red football. This is what it was all about. What people actually see on the field: the games, the victories, the celebrations, the trophies-- those are all just a result of the pain and hard work that these guys go through on a daily basis. And we were witnessing it. My Big Red Fever flared up again and I subsequently passed out.  

When I awoke, Markuss and I were in Coach Reno's massive office somewhere in the bowels of Cartledge field house. All the players had left and it was just us (Gulp). For those of you who have never met him, Coach Reno can be a very intimidating person. For those of you who have met him.... well then you know what I'm talking about. We spoke with Coach for awhile and he told us about his coaching history, what it's like to win back-to-back state titles, and basically what makes him tick. It was great! After our talk he gave us the grand tour of the field house and explained to us the meaning behind everything written on the walls. He even sang for us the Steubenville school song! I recommend that you ask him to sing to you, if you ever have the chance. Your life will never be the same!

We spent the rest of the day watching practice and ended it with a "Meet The Team" party/pep rally. The team, cheerleaders, band, boosters, family, and friends all came out and put the cherry on top of a perfect day. As the sun started to set on Death Valley, we sat in the stands and marveled at the well-oiled machine that is Big Red football.

We were given a very fortunate glimpse into the daily lives of the people who give hope to so many.
Even though my Big Red Fever was seriously messing with my thoughts, it was clear to me that we had spent the day with the real-life super-heroes of Steubenville, Ohio.