Stranger in a football land -- Observer Preps

I’ll be honest, big-time football is not something with which I grew up.

Like most kids growing up in small-town North Carolina, I had a basketball goal set up in my backyard — which I used almost every day.

Instead of dreaming for football glory in the NFL, I wanted to hit that game-clinching shot to give my Wolfpack their first national championship since that magical run in 1983 — you know the one, where Jimmy V. ran around trying to find someone to hug.

Despite those early dreams, I went on to develop a deeper love for football to the point that even it eclipsed basketball in my eyes.

Although my family and I became regulars at N.C. State football games, it wasn’t until I started grad school at the University of Alabama before I got a taste for the big time (Roll Tide).

My three years living in Tuscaloosa were eye-opening. I had grown up hearing about the intensity of football in the Yellowhammer State, from both news media and family who live in the state, but that didn’t do it justice.

 My first game at Bryant-Denny Stadium garnered an attendance of more than 100,000 people, and the first high-school game I went to at Central High — in Tuscaloosa — was completely packed. That Central team had talent that was being recruited by the Tide at the time.

Never in my life had I been to a high-school football game where the stadium is built to hold thousands and fans get to take in seriously impressive talent.

Fast-forward to the present, and I’m back in the same situation. When I arrived in Winter Park to take my job as associate editor at this paper, there was a lot I wanted to do. Covering football was at the top of my to-do list.

After taking in preseason games at Winter Park High School and Bishop Moore — which as a side note, I didn’t know preseason high-school football was a thing — I already can tell you that I’m beyond excited to cover football in Orange County.

The newly renovated Showalter Field at WPHS is quite the home-field advantage for the Wildcats and a testament to the level of dedication the community has to the football program. There’s also just an atmosphere about the place that oozes tradition and passion, and I got all of that within a quarter of play against Edgewater.

The sound of WPHS’s impressive and large marching band reverberated around the stadium, while the chants from cheerleaders on the sideline intertwined with the clack of shoulder pads on the field. It was a cacophony of beautiful noise.

After taking in the first quarter, I jetted over to Bishop Moore to cover their game against Timber Creek, which had a few surprises.

The first surprise is that a private school has such a dominant football team. 

Believe it or not, none of the private schools back in my home county of Wayne has football — unless it’s of the round ball variety. Most of the private schools in the state that do are in the bigger cities such as Raleigh and Charlotte.

Not only did Bishop Moore dominate, but also the crowd was incredibly impressive.

Fans of the Hornets came out in full force, filling up the home stands for a preseason game. In what amounts to a scrimmage, Hornets fans treated it as if it was the last game of the season.

Also, just like Showalter, the facilities at Bishop Moore are impressive and an obvious clue to football’s dominance in the state.

Although I’ve only made it to two games — preseason games at that — I could not be any more excited to take in football at the several schools that are in our coverage area.

I hope you, like me, are ready for some football.