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.