I'VE BEEN WORKING a night or two in sports at The Herald-Whig this fall. It's been a lot of fun. Basically I'm just working on the desk, taking a few calls, writing some short stories, and helping the younger reporters. Whig sports guys David Adam and Matt Schuckman have been very good to me.
Saturday I fall off the sports guy truck and am covering a high school playoff football game in Camp Point. It comes almost exactly 18 years to the day I last wrote about a prep gridiron contest. It was Oct. 31, 1998, in Rushville. I think the home team lost, from what I barely remember. I do recall hurrying back to Quincy from Rushville to see Emily in her Halloween costume, then spending the next seven hours at the office. I worked about 20 hours the day before. It's a wonder I lasted as long as I did in sports.
Going to football games was one of my favorite things to do as a sports guy. There is nothing like the feeling you get on a crisp fall Friday night, driving up to the field and seeing the lights. Saturday afternoon is supposed to be gorgeous, and I'll miss the lights, but the feeling of going to a game and knowing there is a lot of excitement in the air is unmatched.
From what I've been told, you still get four downs to make a first down, a touchdown is still worth six points, and there is no instant replay at the high school level. I have never gone to a Camp Point Central High School football game, so it's all new and intriguing to me. I do know Brad Dixon is the Central coach and is respected around here for turning the Panthers into a really good program.
Best of luck to all of our area teams - Quincy High School has a home playoff game Saturday too. Go Blue Devils! It will be a blast getting back to the field and press box, talking to coaches and players after the game, and writing it all up.
You can take the boy outta sports, but you can't take the sports outta the boy.
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