It's over...

This week has been crazy....

In a bittersweet kind of way...

Thursday was the last pre-game Football dinner - although we were not sure of that at the time.

Thursday, after dinner, was Senior night.

On senior night, the seniors football players sit with their parents on the stage in the auditorium.

In the audience are coaches, other team players, cheerleaders, other relatives....

The seniors each take a turn at the podium, with their parents at their side, and talk for a few minutes about their time playing football at South.

There are 28 Seniors on the '09 team - the most there has been in a long time at Willoughby South High.

Which means it was a looooong night...


If you ever feel the need to watch grown men and teen boys cry, crash a senior night at your local high school.

Coaches were crying; players were crying, Moms and Dads were crying. Babies were crying - maybe not for the same reasons, but ...

Some of the players were crying so hard they could hardly talk...

I think G-Man was wishing he had stuck with soccer - because they do not do this and he would not have had to let everyone see him cry....

But he did good, considering when he first started school many, many years ago, I could not understand a word he said and had to have CareBear interpret until the speech therapy started kicking in...

But I digress...

A couple of the players opted not to prepare ahead of time...

I'd like to thank Marty, the guy that cuts the grass. He does an amazing job. I think of him everytime I go down - like when I tackle someone.. I mean - there's a lot of grass out there to cut. He does a good job. Oh, and thanks to the coaches and my parents, too....

I want to thank my Mom - she cooks and does my laundry and takes care of the kids. And my Dad - he works hard so my Mom has food to cook for me, cuz I eat a lot. And he takes care of the kids. We all eat a lot...

I have only been on the team like two months, 'cuz I am a soccer player and you guys just wanted me for my foot, so I do not have much to say, but thanks....

....and my Mom ...fuck...oh crap, did I say that into the mike...I'm sorry coach....sorry everyone...

Friday Night was the last game of the season...'tho we were not sure of that at the time either.

The Rebels did great - took the PAC conference championship for the second year in a row.

Playoff hopes were high - just needed a few other teams to win so they could get in....

But by the time we met the buses back at the school, playoff hopes were shattered...and we once again got to watch grown boys shed tears...

Which meant that they did not feel like eating much of the hot pizza and snacks we had waiting for them, so the moms, dads, cheerleaders, random parking lot wanderers, all had a feast....