Week No. 5 of our Football Friday program coming up ... Our plans are to cover 27 area games involving teams from 17 counties.
We’ve had to scramble for photographers this week because of illness and vacation, plus the Hurricanes exhibition opener. Also, there are four of the dreaded Thursday night games, which always affect our Friday schedule. But life is about flexibility, so we move on.
Anyway, subject to change, here’s where we plan on having crews on Friday:
Broughton at Millbrook
Smithfield-Selma at East Wake
Eastern Wayne at Apex
Athens Drive at Fuquay-Varina
Wakefield at Sanderson
Lee County at Cary
Clayton at Garner
Southern Vance at Northern Nash
Southern Wayne at Southern Nash
Middle Creek at Green Hope
Western Harnett at Gray’s Creek
Southern Lee at Triton
Southern Durham at Northern Durham
Person at Riverside (game of the week)
Enloe at Leesville Road
Hillside at Jordan
Northern Vance at Warren County
Roanoke Rapids at Louisburg
Lumberton at South View
North Johnston at Lakewood
Terry Sanford at Cape Fear
Richmond County at Westover
Seventy-First at Douglas Byrd
Tarboro at Southwest Edgecombe
Wilson Hunt at Wilson Fike
Kinston at Rocky Mount
Bunn at Nash CentralWe’ve given one of our photographers, Greg Clark, a real challenge. Because of a photographer shortage, he will try to shoot three games in Cumberland County. We think it will work, but it all depends on his first game -- and I can’t divulge what that strategy is.
Hey, did you hear about the coach in Connecticut who got suspended because his team beat another team by 50 points? Seems like they have a rule up there that if one team beats another by 50 or more, then that coach is suspended for the next game. I don’t know about that one.
How can you tell the third-string kids on the team ahead who don’t play much to go in and not try? That doesn’t seem right either. I remember the first year I played varsity basketball, I hardly ever got in the game, but when I did, no matter if we were way ahead or way behind, I wanted to play as hard as I could.
I am a huge believer in sportsmanship and winning with grace and losing with dignity and playing the game to have fun no matter what the outcome. I don’t know what the answer is but this rule doesn’t seem quite right. I do truly believe that most coaches do not want to embarrass the other team and do all they can to try to prevent that. More for another day ....
Back to Football Friday, though … Please keep the scores coming in early and often. If you attend a game please call our toll free number at 1-888-472-9725. (If you’re calling and somehow your score is not getting on, please let us know.)
Take in a game this Friday. High school football is a lot of fun!
