54 degrees on the backporch at 6:55 PM on this Wednesday Night.
As a kid, this was a night to go to church at Brownstown Baptist. I miss that place.
Got more of Brownstown than I had hoped for this past Friday and Monday.
Returning to Blevins Stadium to play on the artifical turf field was a new experience for me. My old playground is gone. What I saw was a bit indifferent to me.
It was not my playground. But I sure was glad to be there.
The North Harrison Cougars were defeated by Brownstown Central 43-12. It was not good.
My high school football career was succesful. I measure it on four games. We went to Brownstown to play the Braves my 9th grade year and won 27-14. This was 1982. The Braves were riding an 18 game winning streak coming into that one. No Cougar team has broken a winning streak like that one since. In 1984, I kicked my first extra point in the North endzone of Blevins Stadium. The NH Cougars defeated the Braves 59-0 that night. To this day, that is Brownstown Central’s worst defeat on their home field. I love it. Had we lost these games on my return trips to Blevins Stadium, I don’t even want to think about it.
The other two games? My senior year in 1985. We beat Corydon 23-0. Always nice to get a shutout. I missed one extra point that season and it was in this game. Looking at the score, yes, I did kick a field goal.
1985 was the year Indiana began High School Football Sectionals similar to basketball, of course. In the first sectional game in NHHS history we beat the Mitchell Bluejackets 17-12. It was great.
Hanging with my dear friend Barry Hall after the game was special. He played for my Dad at Brownstown Central in the 70s. I am so blessed to have had so many great experiences framed around this game of football. This was a special moment for sure.
Ironically, three days later, Barry and I would be across the field from each other again.
This was 4th and goal. We lost the Junior Varsity game to BCHS 14-8 in overtime. The refs said we had one overtime. We were a yard away from making it 14-12 and looking for a 2 point conversion. I was so proud of our boys’ effort. Our best runner was out. We played smart, tough football. It was fun.
This was not so fun on Saturday. Well, the craic was good. Look that Irish word up!
Indiana had the UC Bearcats whipped in the first half. A phantom targeting call on Indiana’s best player through the team into turmoil. A 14-0 lead turned into a 38-24 loss. It was bad.
It was good at this point!
A PAT is always good!
I was delighted to be in the biggest non-conference crowd since, they said on TV the late 1980s. I think I was there. It was Mizzou in 1989. I know it was.
Good times.
Go Cougars!
Go Hoosiers!
This was Post 632. And so it goes.
Speaking the rights…
Danny Johnson