I feel a little different today. This column, in a rare instance, was prepared late last night. Many times, I am opining while referring to your Saturday morning in the present. However, I’m typing on a mid to late Friday afternoon.
A Tiger win would have been nice last night. I started calling varsity action over the public address system in the 2021 football season, and last night’s overtime loss to Plymouth was only my second loss experienced in the press box.
The previous loss was a convincing win by Mishawaka in the 2022 campaign. Last night’s loss shared some common ground with the 2022 loss.
Turnovers are death.
Strangely, I’ve become so used to winning home games, I’m managing this loss better than I thought I would about 30 minutes after the final play in overtime.
I understand the parents who accompanied their kids home after last night’s game, and even the little things ,those kids collective craw like the victor’s getting cookies baked by Sara Curtis, Coach Curtis’s spouse.
Something even like that will drive the Tigers to start their deep dive focusing not on officials’ calls, how hard to handle certain athletes were, Instead, the Tigers are 100% focused on,,, the Tigers.
Two consecutive losses, and other things the Tigers are unaccustomed to might be conversation fodder among fans, parents, and other townsfolk.
I can relate to what the Tigers are doing this morning, though.
They’ll analyze results, make necessary changes, and even concentrate on things they always do and will continue to do in a mindset of excellence.
I was, up until I turned off my laptop at work at 5:15 p.m. last night, solving a problem that took three hours instead of one hour. I knew a ballgame awaited me, but the mission came first. A column I occasionally write at lunch waited, too.
Quarter-end and period end preparation and execution awaited me at 6 a.m. today. I’ll call two soccer matches from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I’ll rewatch the game on Sports Michiana’s Facebook page to evaluate myself, but dwell on what can be done next week, and not watch the game ever again thereafter.
I’ll spend the rest of the weekend visiting out of state relatives staying up in Elkhart, more period and quarter close, and throw in the 2025 budget.
Do I care about the Tigers losing last night?
Yes,
But being an ardent Warsaw Tiger football fan and event worker are small parts of a full, active life. I’ll still found joy in the press box because of the people around me, win or lose.
The Tigers are getting to work this morning not dwelling on two consecutive losses. Are they stinging this morning?
Yes.
Stay out of their way if you think they’ll want to waste their time talking about the last two Fridays.
They’re mostly polite and respectful young men who will just hope such a discussion among us is ended just as quickly as it unwittingly starts because they’re already working on going 1-0 against Mishawaka. They won’t snap, nor say anything even slightly snarky to you.
These athletes will get back to work.
Congrats are in order to Abby Peterson this morning, Peterson finished 18 holes in her regional round of golf Friday turning in a score of 77 strokes. Bear in mind, this was in blustery weather zig-zagging a course where she got a fair mix of wind behind her, wind in her face, and winds moving left and right.
It’s likely Peterson’s score will improve next week during her trip South this coming Friday and Saturday.
Peterson focused additional time previously spent in basketball to increase her concentration on golf. It is working well for her. She got to work, even during the mild winter.
Her basketball teammates, who bid farewell to a confident and competent point guard, missed her services a bit last year, but they still got to work. Those returning juniors and seniors have plans to level up.
They’re not going to mope about not having Peterson at point guard, and the state qualifier will continue her favorite sport at Ball State next year.
We’re entering week four of the NFL regular, and I still have – as my cadence remains consistent to what I’ve recently discussed with you - three or four NFL replays to watch. I’d love to watch all of them this weekend, but it looks like those will await at least a handful of week-four replays.
The aforementioned vocational demands, and my avocational demands continue today, and every day until mid-October. I’ll get announcing breaks Thursday and on the two Sundays, but I certainly won’t be bored.
I’m especially glad, after a tough night for the boys on Fisher Field, that I, too, must immediately get back to work.