Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Here's to hoping tonight's no nightmare

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published November 10, 2006

Good morning, Alton Voss.

Do you know what today is? Of course you do.

Did you sleep well last night? Or did you toss and turn, dreaming of throwing touchdown passes and running for first downs and winning.

Sleep is overrated. Throwing touchdowns isn't. I hope you were just a little tired this morning. That would be good.

Good morning, Shawn Williamson.

I think Alton Voss was throwing passes to you in his sleep last night. Did you catch them?

Did you take them to the house? Were there disappointed fans yelling at you from the stands, frustrated players getting in your face?

The madder the better, I say. Did you keep your cool?

That would be cool.

Good morning, Anthony Jackson.

Did your legs twitch last night, as you snored through the opening kickoff and ran through the other team?

Did you bob and weave? Did you carry the ball tightly?

You scored, I'm sure. That's how these dreams go.

Good morning, Tim Longnecker.

How's your face? Still have all your teeth?

Is your bed still in one piece? I can only imagine the havoc you wreaked last night, blowing by linemen and sacking quarterbacks and hitting that running back for Bishop Moore so hard your pillow ended up in shreds.

How will you explain that one to mom?

Good morning, Julian Ford.

How's that ankle? Did you run in quicksand last night, or run over it? Did you cut and juke, and did it hurt when you did?

If a man can run through walls for what he really wants, then a sore ankle should be nothing to worry about. Just be careful getting out of bed.

Good morning, Jesse Jecusco.

When you hit Bishop Moore running back V.J. Floyd last night, did you get him high or low? Me, I'd go low. The kid can run. But you know that.

Did you hang on for dear life? You have to.

Did you get after the quarterback? You better.

Good morning, Jay Fulmer.

I'm guessing you didn't sleep last night, much. I'm guessing you tried to catch some Z's, but ended up counting X's and O's.

It's only the biggest football game in school history, unless you played in that 1985 game when the Bucs beat Pinellas Park and future NFL player Browning Nagle. I hear that was big, too.

This one, though, this is for the ages and the aged. This is for the hundreds of kids who thought they were going to the playoffs, and didn't. For the coaches who poured in hundreds of hours and thought they were going to the playoffs, but never really had a chance.

Hope, sure. A chance? Nah.

Sleep the night before this one?

Maybe if you've been there before and this is just another game, nothing more than a yearly ritual.

This one is none of those.

This one is special.

So good morning to you all.

And good luck.

John C. Cotey can be reached at 727-869-6261 or cotey@sptimes.com

[Last modified November 9, 2006, 23:03:58]