Games only a part of the big story

Resslin' Around, by Casey Ressler

For three years, I covered high school sport sas the sports editor here at the Frontiersman. It was always about the game for me -- who ran for what yards, what the score was, who was winning.

Now, as casual Joe Blow sitting in the stands and being a spectator, I realize that high school football is about much more than just the action on the field.

Football in the Valley has become a major community event, and nothing beats playing Friday night under the lights.

Everybody shows up, and the stands are packed to capacity. At each school, the overflow runs around the track that circles the field, and you can bet that while some of those in the stands are parents and family of the players, not all are. While other sports attract lots of spectators too, nothing beats a Friday night football game on a cold fall evening.

When I was a student at Wasilla High School in the early 1990s, football was a big deal, but not nearly like it is now. You could drive up to the field a second before kickoff, park in the front row and walk right in. Any seat was available, and there certainly weren't lines for the Porta-Potty. It was another game on Saturday afternoon, and if you didn't have anything better to do, you'd go and watch.

Now, it is the exact opposite. You have to park farther away than you would if you were going to Disneyland, if you don't get to the school at least an hour before kickoff. Rivalries like the Potato Bowl or Wasilla vs. Colony or Palmer vs. Colony attract thousands of people each weekend, regardless of where they are held. The most tell-tale sign that football is big in the Valley is the presence of politicians -- gasp -- at the games. It is the happenin' place to be on Friday nights.

In the stands, there is a sense of community pride in each person, regardless if they are at Houston, Colony, Palmer or Wasilla. The color of the hat and letterman's coat may change from person to person, but that sense of community doesn't waver. We've lost a bit of that sense of community every day it seems.

The hustle and bustle of the daily grind takes its toll, but somehow, the football game held Friday night, when all the commuting and the week of work is finally over, brings it all back for three hours.

Part of the "rising up" of football has to do with the success of the teams. In the last five to 10 years, teams have won state championships and have been threats to win it all nearly every year. Naturally, with that success comes more recognition and more appeal. But it doesn't explain it all. Part of it has to be attributed to a change in the attitude of people.

Texas always is held high as the high school football capital of the world. While that may be true, take a look at any small high school in America on a Friday night, and you'll likely see the same enthusiasm and spirt you'll find in the Lone Star State. I can tell you firsthand you'll find those qualities at Valley high schools.

Next week is the last chance to see this firsthand, as the playoffs get started and more will be on the line than just another game. Get out and enjoy a high school football game before the season ends. You won't be disappointed.

The real winners in this football transformation are the kids. This is their one big shot -- for many of them, following high school, they won't play a down of football ever again, save for a two-hand-touch game in the backyard.

It's probably the only time thousands of people will pay to see them do something, and if they can take that pride with them to later life, they will be better off for it -- and so will the community in the long run.

Casey Ressler (valleylife@frontiersman.com) is the Valley Life editor. He is a Potato Bowl regular and prefers his spuds in "chip" form.