I saw some fine football this fall thanks to Matagorda County high school athletes and the programs they’re in.
I covered the Blackcats and Tidehaven this fall.
My good friend John Hoffman covered the Leopards through their season and did a good job at it.
I hope I was equal to the task of reporting on Bay City and the Tigers because I saw great football.
I will note that the first team All District lists for both teams are covered with Blackcat and Tiger standouts.
For example the defensive MVP for District 12-4A-1 Carlon Jones led several other Blackcats who earned honors.
This week’s District 13-3A-2 All District team likewise includes stellar performers.
Running back Joseph Dodds was the Offensive MVP, while Justin Griffith and Matthew Rush were Defensive Co-MVPs.
They too are headliners for other Tiger All District players.
The Bay City all-district list was in last week’s paper, while Tidehaven and Van Vleck all-district athletes are in this week’s sports section.
Tidehaven reached the pinnacle of Texas high school football by reaching the state championship last week.
While Tidehaven fell to Gunter last week, the overall experience had to be at once exhilarating and disappointing.
I have to cross my fingers about the metroplex traffic, but my Tidehaven alum wife MaLinda did all of the driving.
Her daughter, Ashlee, a Bay City High School grad, did all of the traffic planning and navigating.
When it was nearly game time, we reached the assigned gate for the media, only to be told to go to the other side of the stadium to park there.
You know the drill, we went over there to be told we had to back two gates.
It was almost exactly 10 years ago that I last covered a high school state final at Jerry’s World.
What I remembered then and now was the Jumbotron that hangs over the field for all to see.
When they replay a play all several thousand people get to witness the play unfolding again, but with high-definition magnification.
Catch a pass, run for several yards and the fans see that.
Fumble, get tackled behind the line of scrimmage or commit any number of mistakes and everybody sees that too.
I enjoyed covering Matagorda County football this year.
God willing, I’ll get to do it again next year.
