week 1 football

We won 30 to 26. Tom was on the line on chain gang. He handled the "box", the marker that reads the down. He does a great job, waiting for the ref to signal the new ball mark, then racing over to set the spot. It was fun to watch him hustle. He smelled almost as bad as Trevor after the game. He really worked up a sweat.

I had made up cards with the team names and numbers so the families could tell the players and cheer the boys by name. The jerseys are new and will be used again next season so no names can be put on them, just numbers, as they will be passed on to someone else next season to save money for the program. Riley and Tom had helped me put them together right before we left the house. I had to take Trevor two hours early for warm ups. Tom brought Riley and some grapes for after game snacks closer to kick off.

I handed out the cards to parents and grandparents and other family on our side of the field.
Trevor played well. Tom wondered every time the coach took him out, why Trevor was being subbed out. The coach lets everyone play though, so other children needed time. League rules are at least ten plays for every child on the team. Trevor played well over 10, which was quite the change from last year.

We scored first and made the extra point. Then they scored but we blocked their extra point. ?Second quarter we caught two interceptions and ran them in for touch downs and made one of two extra points. I am meanwhile running up and down the field behind the yellow ropes of the visitor bleachers cheering the team on with Riley shadowing me. He was excited at first also but it was not a big crowd, just family, so not nearly as exciting as a crowded college game like his father takes him to once a year.

After half time he started to go stir crazy. He didn't have a book to read and once the sun set it got cold. The game got close when the opposing team scored twice more. But we answered every time and held them off in the last two minutes. It was a fun game under the lights. 7:00 kick offs are late enough that the boys get to play the second half with the stadium lights on. We have several games like that this season.

As long as Riley has money to eat at the snack shack he is content to hang out and watch the game. As usual my family happiness evolves around food. Foot long hot dogs and pop and hot cocoa and candy and gum go along way to entertain Riley for the two hours his brother's game lasts.

I love that he is willing to stay the whole time without much fuss. Tom doesn't notice us while the game is on and he is on duty with the down marker. He concentrated on the game intently, happy Trevor is playing.