I vowed to cover Franklin High School this season and I look forward to hitting as many games as I can. They had a rough start Saturday night up north in Harborchreek. As I walked around in shorts and a t-shirt sweating profusely at times, I was concerned for these young athletes and more so for the referees and others of more advanced years. Doc Fee was there as always and all I could think to ask him was "are you keeping hydrated my friend?"

Harbor Creek dominated this game. Franklin moved the ball at times, but seemed reluctant to put a full body into a block or tackle and it resulted in stalled drives, turnovers and missed tackles and long runs by Harbor Creek who tallied over 500 yards on the ground..

Franklin did score once with nice pass from Cole Buckley to Wyatt Bell, who managed to drag a tackle and leap across the goal. At that stage it seemed like maybe this would be a ball game since it was only 14-7 at the time. But the very next play put the Huskies up another touchdown and it just got worse from there. It ended 42-7. It was Franklin's only score.

The number of players that went down to injury or cramps was a testimaent to the heat. Even a referee had to leave ealy. It was that hot.

One thing that is often lost on the idea of winning and losing in high school sports is that the practice field, locker room, sidelines and even on the field on game day are learning environments. These are kids learning some skills, but more importantly learning lessons that shape them.

Humility, grace, personal accomplishment and teamwork are just some of the things good coaches bring to the experience. There are so many lessons learned about life that the winning and losing are predicated on the combination of raw talent, right time and right place, coaching and heart. Sports are about pride and acknowledgment being, at best, temporary. And how to deal with that is important.

​Especially at the high school level.

I photographed Meadville playing Grove City Friday night and saw similar traits in both games. The lack of committing to a hit, tentative running at times and lack of focussed discipline. It was hot and this was the first game of the season.

As an aging human I get it--those hits hurt and take an eventual toll. I remember hearing a coach one time teach that the defensive body is a missile launched at a target. I also remember playing this way for the most part in my youth and now at 55 i have aches and pains that seem like they were from this attitude in youth.

​Success comes from placing your mind and body to the brink.

My old high school coaches taught us about wrapping up. This may be a lost art in football today, though I still hear it being yelled at from the sidelines. Players seem to toss themselves in the way hoping that will be enough to bring down a runner who is focussed to to plow past whatever is in front of them to reach the goal. So if you want to stop them you had better also have a focussed goal in mind, to stop their forward motion.
​
"(Sports) is 90% mental and the other half is physical" - Yogi Berra

Harbor Creek wasn't that much better than Franklin tonight, certainly not as much as the score showed. But they were certainly more focussed and perhaps better conditioned. Their running backs cut back toward the field instead of running out of bounds and their lead blockers put a body to the opponent. They gained extra yards by not giving up on a play.

Franklin seemed timid to fully hit or explode towards the hole in the line. On some occasions blocks were totally missed by over committing and not angling toward the opponent.

Franklin does have some positives, they can throw the ball and they have a more than one capable back. It could be a long season again, but if they take the approach that this was a learning experience in week one, they might have fun and gain great life learning experiences.

Coach Matt Turk certainly seemed intent to give a valuable lesson at one point in the game when he called a timeout and then took a play out of the "We were Soldiers" movie handbook. "Calm down." he shouted at his players who seemed out of sorts and frustrated. He advised his squad they they needed to settle down and focus.

Valuable lesson, though hard to learn on the spot.  Good coaches persist and keep providing these lesson until they truly sink in.

Franklin returns home next Friday to face Fairview. Since each week is a learning experience I look forward to seeing how they adapt. Each team is different and therefore the match-ups can benefit one squad over the other. So we'll see how the players and coaching staff adapt.And they will have a home crowd vibe and the band will be their adding to the entire atmosphere of Friday night football.

Below are more photos from Saturday night's game.

One big hope is that everyone drinks more water.

Defense was not what tonight was about, because defense just didn't show up in a consistent way. Meadville ran - they ran a lot and well. Grove City threw a lot more, but also had key runs. But it came down to a blocked extra point and then a failed two-point conversion. These two teams were equal. Offenses that could block and get into the open field, but neither team will win defensive awards.

Khalon Simmons is a master of all trades on the gridiron. He rushed and broke free, he stopped a touchdown at least once on special teams and he kicked and kicked. One of his kicks ws blocked. Who would've thought this high scoring game would come down to that blocked kick and a subsequent two-point failure to convert.

Neither team deserved to win, but neither team deserved to lose either. This is sports and it is the little things that might mean the difference between the W or the L,

But high school sports about way more than wins and losses. Sure, the goal is the title, but there is a band, cheers and parents who are there to bleed with the football team and be the experience of Friday night under the lights. It's a school experience, not just a game.

This was only week one and though it is always better to start out with a win, this is not the end of the season. Two running backs had monster games and the team has talent. They they need to learn to hit harder, put their body in the way, wrap up and stay mentally focussed on defense.

​These things will come with good practices and dedication to the craft. And if they do this, this team could have a solid year. They certainly have weapons.

Below are more scenes from the game captured by Eight & 322.

I photographed winter and spring sports, but this week will be my first return to the sidelines of a football game and we'll see if I approach my job any different. But I look forward to it even though due to schedules I might be photographing Meadville in Grove City.

Below is the Oiler's schedule for this season. It will be interesting to see how they, and I bounce back.