City Beat: Something special about high school teams

Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee at night
Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee at night

Allow me to brag a little bit, but my beloved Fighting Irish high school football team will be playing for a state title on Dec. 2 in Cookeville, Tenn.

It's the first time in the school's 141-year history that it has made it to the finals in football. It hasn't been playing football that whole time, mind you, but still, that's pretty remarkable when you think about it. That's a long time.

There is something special about high school football. Always has been and always will be, I hope. A winning football team helps set the tone at a school. I've seen it work both ways, and I can tell you that a winning team is way better than a losing team.

The birds sing louder, the grass appears greener and life is just better.

Notre Dame has made it as far as the semifinals a half dozen or so times, and, oddly, I think they lost each time to the eventual champion. The first time was in 1978. I was a sophomore on that team and remember getting in for one play late in the season when the starting tight end had to come out for a play. I remember after the play heading back to the sideline feeling good about myself, mostly because I wasn't harmed, and a guy named Anthony Ensor looked stunned to see me coming off of the field.

photo Barry Courter

"What did you do?" he asked. He said it like he thought I'd been stricken with some sort of mental illness and had wandered out onto the playing surface. He seemed genuinely concerned not only for my own safety but that I had harmed the team somehow.

The next time ND made it to the semifinals was my son's sophomore year at the school. The team got to travel to Briarcrest in Memphis to play against Michael Orr of "Blindside" fame. He was a big man.

They were the better team for sure, but what I remember was that another very large Briarcrest player hit one of our players on a kickoff return. They took the player to the locker room, where his mother asked him where his school books and school clothes were.

"I told you," he said, "they're in my shoes."

They spent the night in a local hospital.

Both of my kids played on some pretty competitive travel teams in baseball and soccer, and they won a bunch of games and a bunch of trophies, but I think their high school teams are the ones they'll remember most.

Travel ball seems to be so much more about the individual, whereas playing for your school means something more. Plus, it's just fun with the crowds, the band and the cheerleaders.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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