Another season begins

[Rich]

Outstanding night for my crew. Worked a game where the score was 3-3 with about 6:00 left in the game. I covered the overtime procedure with my U and my L during an injury timeout. I passed the test . Visiting team scores a touchdown and converts on the point to make it 10-3. Home team drives down the field and benefited from a dead ball personal foul where the yardage took it from 3rd and 12 to a first down. The game ended on an incomplete pass in the end zone that got batted around a bit. I still, since 1995, have never worked an overtime game.

I wore a microphone for the game and all my penalty announcements (12 accepted, 4 declined) went well. The first penalty was with about 4 minutes left in the half – a hold on a sweep around left end that my L nailed. He also made a great call on a pass interference that led to the tying field goal for the visiting team. The LJ called the late personal foul, but it probably could’ve been termed USC as the push in the back was minor, but the taunt was there for everyone to see and hear. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

My penalties were pretty routine – 6 on the line during a field goal attempt that was blocked (only 10 on the field and nobody slid up onto the line to make 7). Running into the kicker (declined as it was the last play of the half). A couple of false starts. 12 on the field lined up (illegal substitution) on the try after touchdown. A hold that was more like an armbar on a linesman’s thigh (it worked, the lineman went down).

The game was on the area’s first HS FieldTurf field. Let me tell ya, if I could do every game on this wonderful surface, I would. I hope this is just the catalyst for other school to spend the coin on one of these.

Finally, apparently our game was the lead game on all the local sports channels. Doesn’t get any better than this. Especially Week 1 after missing out on the local scrimmages last week. It felt odd putting a uniform on the first time and going out and working a varsity game.

Next week we go to some school in the middle of nowhere . Lucky if our game makes the list of scores in Saturday’s morning’s paper. But it’s Friday night and there’s no place I would rather be than on the football field.

Anyone else open up last night?