There’s nothing quite like attending a high school football game.
No matter where they’re played, they present the same unique atmosphere and offer the same unique experience.
The Houston high School squad’s 2016 season officially kicked off last Friday with a home game against Ash Grove. And while the results were not exactly satisfying to the home team or crowd, the rest of the deal was nonetheless intact.
It begins with the sights; so many are there for the taking in at a high school football game.
Of course, that starts with a pair of 11-man groups battling it out on the field, and if nothing else, each play makes up a fascinating microcosm of collective choreography, success and failure, as each group tries to execute a plan that works to its benefit within the boundaries of myriad rules.
But while that’s the main part of the whole, it is in fact only part. Whether its other groups playing music, leading cheers or acting as moderators over the proceedings, or individuals doling out water bottles to winded gladiators donning relatively complex gear, there’s pretty much always something colorful or somehow interesting to point one’s eyes toward.
Beyond that, there are about a million sounds you don’t really hear anywhere else, which might be responsible for creating the unusual atmosphere as much or more than anything else.
The yells from coaches, the cracking of helmet to shoulder pad, the growling voice of the public address announcer, the marching band’s rendition of a classic, the roar and applause from the crowd after a nice play – it all adds up to an audio soup that’s enjoyably one-of-a-kind.
And speaking of the band, I’d like to toss my two cents into the kudos hat with regard to the Tiger Pride bunch from HHS.
A high school football game just wouldn’t be the same without the contribution of a band. And even if the band of the night isn’t the best-ever in the history of high schools, the music it plays is still downright cool.
I mean, many people would never, ever hear the lovely, graceful sound produced by a French horn, clarinet or other band instrument if not for hearing the local high school band play at a home game. It’s not the same as that of an electric or bass guitar (not that those don’t sound good, too); it’s a more regal, almost glorious sound that begs being absorbed beneath the listener’s skin.
And although the young men and women doing the playing don’t get the props that guys on the field receive, I know how hard they work to get where they’re at on Friday nights. Every July, I hear band director Michael Roy repeating commands and I’ve seen the “band on the run” on downtown streets.
The culmination of their effort is not to be taken lightly. It’s a highly integral aspect of the overall show.
And then there are the smells.
Damp grass, leather, smoke from grilled hot dogs hot dogs; it’s unlike any other nasal opportunity. It’s a nose’s chance to kick back and savor life’s aromatic diversity.
And to top of the uniqueness of the experience, all of it – the visual, audible and odiferous – happens outdoors in weather that can range from sultry at the season’s outset to frigid toward the end. In my estimation, it’s a few hours well spent regardless of the climatic conditions.
Regardless of the score (or lack thereof).
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
