Tuesday Night Lights

I had a rare opportunity to enjoy youth football under the lights last evening as the GORC Wildcats played a make-up night game. 

GORC Wildcats
80 lb Central Team
October 13, 2015

The 80-pound Central team, with Jackson playing both ways, offense, defense, and on the kick-off team made their under the lights debut at 7:45 PM on a beautiful October evening in front of tens of adoring fans, mostly parents hoping to get them home to bed before it got too late. 

That, sadly, was not to be the case as the game which started early went into double overtime before the conclusion. Who even know that there was overtime in youth football? What happened to the days of ending in a tie and having to live with the realization that the other team was just as good, on this night! I remember my high school football days and the only non-win during my entire high school career, was a 6-6 tie (my high school football team went 36-0-1 for my four years). Of all of our high school games, that is the one game I definitely remember.

But, the game did not play out that way. GORC took a 12-6 lead at the half after falling behind 0-6, and then played a sloppy second half where the offense was totally inept and the defense, although giving up a lone score, saved the day by stopping the other team twice inside of the red zone. 

Their red zone defensive prowess would serve the team well as the game went into overtime. Overtime is a college-like possession affair. Each team gets alternating possession of the ball from the 10 yard-line. The defense shone for the Wildcats. They stopped the visitors on the first possession, but they, likewise were stymied on their attempt to get into the end zone. Alternating for the second possession, the Wildcats scored on their second play and turned the game over to the defense to preserve. The visitors came up inches (and I mean inches) short on 4th down and GORC won 18-12.

And the time was 9:15 PM, well after most of the players' bedtime. At least the coach gave them today off from practice to recover.

But it was a badly needed and hard fought win! 

Tuesday night under the lights.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD