"What a success story, when the film plays it gets less gory." - Joe Budden
6:15 p.m. - I arrived to Oak Hills High School earlier than usual since I had never been there. I realize, I got there far too early when kick-off is at 7 p.m. So I hang out in my car and text back somebody special. (Yes, you)
6:30 p.m. - I make my way into the stadium, get in for free with my press badge, use my charm when the Mom in charge of the booster club didn't want to give me a free program. I found both head coaches and made my way to introduce myself to them. Tonight, I happened to run into my old coach from my short-lived playing days in high school.
6:45 p.m. - I make sure i have my rosters, my stat sheets, my notebook, different color pens (when I keep play-by-play, I use different color pens to show which team has possession of the ball), make sure I have all my "tools of the trade". I posted a picture via Facebook and gave my prediction of the outcome of the game. I predicted - Oak Hills would win the game by 35.
7 p.m. - As kick-off approaches, I met up with a co-worker who happens to be covering the game for the Daily Press (I cover games for the Sun, but intern at the Daily Press). Chat about the game and wait for the kick-off.
7:13 p.m. - A.B. Miller jumps out to a 7-0 lead, wide receiver Kieth Moorefield caps off a 79 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
7:19 p.m. - Miller promptly scores again, this time on a 26-yard pass from Michael Watkins to Rashaun Moore. 14-0 Miller.
7:25 p.m. - Well, what do you know? Miller is up 21-0 after Watkins connected with Moorfield with a 57-yard pass. Boy am I looking silly picking Oak Hills, and with a margin of 35 points.
8:14 p.m. - Halftime. I shake my head wondering where is the relentless Oak Hills defense I had heard so much about entering tonight's game?
8:19 p.m. - I tally up my first half stats, and I start writing out my capsule. I have found the easiest method to writing my capsule is to start as much of it I can as a draft in my email and use my phone on the sidelines to fill in as the game progresses. I tally up my stats and Miller's quarterback already has 227 throwing yards.
8:40 p.m. - Oak Hills gets on the board four minutes into the second half. Gino Masandrea muffs a punt, then picks it up at his team's 41 yard line. He shakes and bakes, gets a few blocks, and burns the punter as he sprints into the endzone, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. 21-7 Miller.
8:44 p.m. - Oak Hills' strong saftey, Phillip Hernandez picks off Watkins.
8:53 p.m. - Sophomore running back DeZhontaey Flecher finds the end-zone after a one yard run to chip Miller's lead to seven. 21-14 Miller
9:01 p.m. - Masandrea reels in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Nolan Brammer to tie game at 21
9:09 p.m. - Watkins finds his favorite receiver, Marte Witt for a 18-yard touchdown after driving the Rebels from their own 20-yard line. 28-21 Miller.
9:14 p.m. - Two plays into the Bulldogs' following drive, Flecher burns through the Rebels' defense for a 74-yard TD run, tying the game at 28 with 9:13 left on the play clock. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a football game here.
9:20 p.m - Watkins tries to run the ball but is tackled by Kennedy Emesibe, the football comes loose, and Austin Beltrame runs back the fumble 36 yards, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the contest. 35:28 Oak Hills.
9:25 p.m. - With 7:41 left on the clock, Hernandez completes his second pick of the game at the Rebels' 25 yard-line.
9:27 p.m. - The first play of the drive, Flecher carries the ball into the endzone, only to have the play called back due to a block in the backfield.
9:32 p.m. - Josh Goodman connects on a 33-yard field goal with 4:50 left on the clock, cushioning the Bulldogs' lead. 38-28.
9:38 p.m. - Watkins leads the Rebels down to the Oak Hills' 21-yard line. He throws his fourth pick of the game, and third to Phillip Hernandez.
9:39 p.m. - with 2;06 left on the clock, and the ball on the Bulldogs' own 3-yard line, Flecher bounces off his tackle, and torches the Rebels' defense again. This time setting a school recored, the 97-yard TD run is the longest in the school's short history. Suddenly the game is out of the reach of the Rebels. 45-28 Oak Hills.
9:44 p.m. - with 3 seconds left on the clock, Watkins connects with Witt again for a 32-yard TD, ending the game with a score that sounds better than losing by 17. Final score - Oak Hills 45, Miller 34.
9:46 p.m. - now is the time I start to tally up my stats, and start piecing together my capsule together in my head. My final numbers for the game were; The Rebels' QB, Michael Watkins threw for 471 yards including four touchdowns. Wide receiver Marte Witt reeled in 11 passes for 213 yards - The Bulldog's sophomore RB Fletcher ran the ball for 221 yards and three touchdowns, including a school-record 97-yard TD. Senior strong safety Phillip Hernandez ended the game with three interceptions.
9:52 p.m. - Once Oak Hills' coach Robert Kistner addressed the team it was time to interview him. I came away with this interesting quote. "At halftime we told our boys, we have to go out there and see how much heart we have and come out as a team. Down by 21, it would be easy to fold our tents, but these guys showed how much heart they have tonight. Our defense made adjustments,and we battled through injuries. Our back-ups of the back-ups were playing. We had the sophomores Flecher and Gino both step up big tonight. We have a saying, 'start them young, raise them right'. That's what we did tonight."
9:58 p.m. - I rush back to my car and start on my capsule. My deadline of 10:15 is quickly approaching. I realize I'm not going to make my deadline, but I realize I got to watch a great game. So what if my capsule doesn't make tomorrow's paper, it will be online anyways. I bust my but, looking through my important stats, scoring plays, key moments. Anything that will give my capsule some personality. (My editors don't happen to like personality in the capsules. They want it direct, bland, and to the point.) I don't know if you can tell by reading my previous blog entries, but I'm not bland and I feel my writing never lacks personality.
10:21 p.m. - I missed my deadline by six minutes. I didn't feel like it was my best work, I felt rushed, but I got the job done. I look up and realize I'm sitting in a dark and empty parking lot. Mostly everybody has left. I get a call from my sister, she needs a ride home. Lucky me, brotherly duties. And to top it off, my phone dies just as I hang up with her. I have a long drive home, and no Pandora to listen to. I turn up the volume on my cd player and guess what is blaring through the speakers. If you guessed Taylor Swift, you know me far too well.
-Jose
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