Game is about more than potatoes

Resslin' Around by Casey Ressler

&#8220It's about a whole lot more than just potatoes,” I told my friend who asked why in the heck I was going to spend an evening freezing last week, watching Palmer and Wasilla play football. &#8220It's about where I live.” Sure, the Potato Bowl is just a football game - between the white lines. In the stands, however, it's about a lot more than who wins or who loses. I never saw that while I was a sportswriter focused on who scored that touchdown or who made that tackle. But after you step back from the sidelines, sometimes you get the real story of a sporting event.

Friday night was miserable. It rained to start the game, and for the first time all season, I felt winter in the air. It went from autumn to winter sometime around halftime, judging by my inability to feel my toes by that time. People were bundled up in winter hats and scarves - at least the ones not running around half naked painted in blue and white - scrambling for precious umbrella space when the rains started. But Friday night was perfect, too.

It illustrated to me how important high school sports are to a smaller community like ours. Winning is great, and nobody wants to lose. That much is a given when you talk about sports on any level. But when you can bring together a couple thousand folks to catch up with each other and see old friends, you realize the game isn't the only reason they are there. For many, myself included, Palmer vs. Wasilla is the Valley rivalry.

I'm a Wasilla graduate, and for those of us ages 32 and older, Colony wasn't around to create a three-team rivalry. Now, there are definite rivalries including all three schools, but for the &#8220old timers,” Colony wasn't around, making the Potato Bowl the biggest game of the year.

In the stands Friday, I visited with countless friends who I haven't seen in a while. I ran into a few old classmates I hadn't seen in years, older gentlemen who love to dissect the local gossip and even a couple of friends I see every week. We caught up on everything - each other's family, jobs and life in general.

BOOM! The Moose Gooser loudly announced another Palmer touchdown, interrupting one of those conversations. It reminded us that yes, there was a football game being played. But the game wasn't the reason I was there, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in thinking that way.

When I got home from the game, my wife asked how it went. I told her who I ran into at Machetanz Field, and what everyone had to say. I gave her an update on some old friends we hadn't caught up with in a while, and mentioned how cold it was. &#8220Who won?” she asked. &#8220Oh yeah, Palmer killed Wasilla,” I said. The result wasn't the highlight for me (and not just because I'm a Wasilla graduate).

I'll be in the stands for Potato Bowls to come. And while I hope my boys in red finally canbreak Palmer's stranglehold on the Mayor's Trophy, it's not the reason I'll be there. I'll be there because it's a fantastic community event where the true spirit of the Valley is alive and well. But you can bet next year, I'll bring a warmer coat.

Casey Ressler (valleylife@

frontiersman.com) is the Valley Life editor. The Moose Gooser scares the heck out of him.