Friday night was a bit of a surreal experience. I never dreamed I would walk into a high school football stadium where folks were wearing face-coverings in every direction I looked. Alas, that is where we are. I thought back to news footage of folks in China wearing masks because of the poor air quality. I felt so bad for those folks. These days I don’t feel empathy so much as I feel fear. But guess what? For a brief moment in time with what I had to do and say in that football stadium, things seemed right again.
I got a call from Dave Dedrick, the Hall of Famer and voice of WUME 95.3 in Paoli. He said his broadcasting partner of many years could not make the first game of the season. The Paoli Rams took to half of highway 56 across the State of Indiana to drive from Paoli to Madison to take on the Madison Cubs. It about an hour and a half drive. I told Dave I would be honored. I was.
The booth was equipped with safe-guarding wipes provided by Madison.
It was the first time since October 2009 that I had called a high school football game on radio. It showed. Though I was delighted to be there, my performance was lackluster by my standards. That and I had never called a game without Gus Stephenson by my side and he and I could finish each other’s sentences. I spoke over the top of Dave a few times and he certainly did not deserve that. Still, it was a good time. And best of all…
THE RAMS WON 28-27. A blocked extra point saved the bacon in a very exciting and entertaining game. The players put on a determined and well-played performance.
It was a beautiful evening for football on a warm and then comfortable August night.
The Rams, led by Coach Neil Dittmer and his staff did a great job of getting the best of the Cubs. This was a well-coached ballgame by the Rams staff. When I showed up and saw the Cubs in pre-game I knew this would be a tussle. But I never lost faith in the Rams.
It was my intent to not be in the press box as this game started. I planned to be on the field. As my responsibilities as the sole guidance counselor in a 7-12 building, Paoli Jr-Sr High, mounted in the world of virtual school offering along with quasi-traditional school in the building, my time suddenly was less my time. I had to convey to the team that I was not going to be able to join them.
If I walk out for practice with twenty minutes to go, what the heck am I doing? At that point it is best to leave well enough alone. Coach Dittmer knows what he is doing. I have witnessed his acumen first hand on the field and gladly and thankfully from the broadcast booth.
I should have brought a bottle of Windex.
I don’t know how many games the Rams are going to play this season. I know one thing. My opening comments at the outset of the game were emotionally charged. I indicated in no uncertain terms that I was so glad for the seniors on the field that they got this moment, first under the sun and then under the lights.
Go Rams!
Speaking the rights…
Danny Johnson