When your 75th birthday approaches, your bucket list should be getting shorter.
“Wanna-do’s” and “have-to-do’s” should be crossed off as they are completed, or as your capability diminishes.
For instance, a motorcycle trip to Alaska was crossed off … because I no longer have a motorcycle.
Beth and I had been talking about attending a Black Knights football game for years. The team is a great source of pride for our community. Friday night is our pizza and DVD-movie date night, so we had an excuse not to attend. In fact, I had not attended a high school football game since 1965, when my Coral Gables High alma mater lost to Miami High, before nearly 50,000 fans in the Orange Bowl. Twice state champion, Coral Gables was on a 28-game winning streak that ended 14-7 that night. It was said that Joe Robbie attended the game and the huge attendance convinced him to bring the Dolphins to south Florida.
Our friend Mitch Crowe invited us to attend the Black Knights game. Mitch was going to be inducted into the Black Knights Hall of Fame, since he had lettered in five sports and gone on to college athletic success as well.
The incentive to attend was great, so we bundled up for the cold evening and ventured forth into Big Oaks Stadium.
Simply stated, we waited too long to cross a Robbinsville High School football game off our bucket list.
Here are a few observations from a first-time attendee’s viewpoint:
* Parking is easy.
* The cost of admission is reasonable.
* We arrived early and watched a beautiful sunset over the mountains to the northwest.
* The concession food is fairly priced and good, especially the hot chocolate on a cold night.
* The folks working the game are friendly and helpful.
The teams were both primed. We had heard that Andrews was a good team and the game would be competitive. The players tried their best and other than a few unavoidable late hits, the conduct was sportsmanlike.
Robbinsville won and that was good. The band played on, and the cheerleaders and flag waivers rallied the fans. All good, American stuff that brought back memories long dormant.
What really impressed us was the sense of community in the stands. Robbinsville High School principal David Matheson and his wife Kim sat on the hard cold concrete like all of us. Families that we knew brought babies galore and when they got too unbearably fussy, the infant was passed off to a nearby relative and calmed for at least a few minutes. Youngsters walked around without their parents being fearful of nefarious characters in the stands. Folks stood and cheered when the Black Knights performed well and groaned when they did not.
It has been said that sports bring a community together. That is certainly true in Graham County.
Thanks to Mitch and Emma for the motivation to attend, and to all the folks that support the team and volunteer to make the games great, community-building events.
Roger Carlton writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, rcarlton57@hotmail.com.