The ESPN Debut

I realize Friday was a few days ago, but I guess it’s better late than never to write about it. Friday evening, Madison Academy played Leeds in the opening game of the high school football season and this year was extra special because the game was on ESPNU. That’s right, folks, the mighty Mustangs were on national television – no big deal.

My dad had gone up to the school early in the week to get our tickets and paid for parking. The game started at 8:00 p.m. which was an hour later than the normal start time. My dad, aunt, and friend Leah all got to my house around 5:30 p.m. and we headed to the stadium. Yes, you read that correctly, we arrived at a high school football game more than two hours before the game started. The gates didn’t open until 6:30 p.m. so we had to stand in the blazing hot sun for 30 minutes or so before we could get inside and grab a seat.

Leah and I ended up getting in to the game on her husband’s coaches’ pass from last season. So, my brother and his lady friend used the two tickets my dad had gotten for me and Leah. We made it in and got seats pretty close to where we usually sit and then hit up the concession stand for dinner.

Finally, after sweating it out in the heat forever, the game got underway. The first half wasn’t as grand as we MA fans hoped it would be, but they played better in the second half and ended up tying game. Leeds kicked a field goal with four seconds left in the game to win by three. It was thrilling to the end.

Yes, in case you were wondering, I watched the game on the DVR on Saturday. I was curious to hear what the commentators had to say about both teams and also to see what the game looked like on TV.

The game looked really great and was quite impressive on TV. I recognized the commentators’ voices from having called some lesser known college games from seasons past. I heard that they said the MA facilities were actually nicer than some of the college games they have called. The MA family also made a great impression on them and I heard that they said they wouldn’t mind coming back to do another game.

Despite the loss, it was a fun night and great exposure for this little school that many of us hold so dear. We’re looking forward to another fun and exciting football season and maybe even a third state title. Only time will tell.