Game Week

It's hard to believe, but even at 50 years old this week brings a certain amount of excitement for me. The biggest thing is I am anxious, as always to find out how this team will perform. Galesburg is a very tough test for us. They have been down over the last few years, but they always have very fast and physical teams. Coach Olson does a tremendous job. They run the triple option which puts an incredible amount of pressure on our defensive front. After watching our scrimmage from Friday, we are extremely concerned with the play of our defensive ends. There was too much undisciplined play in terms of gap responsibility and over pursuit. This problem can be corrected, but they will really have to be drilled this week and "coached" up, or it could be a rough night. I thought overall that the scrimmage went well. It had it's usual silly penalties, but that is why we do that kind of stuff to get it out of our systems, hopefully. Hopefully the concerns that we are worried about will be solved and we will have a great night. It always seems like the first game is when the August weather returns and the forcast that I saw earlier in the weekend showed 90 degrees on Friday so that seems to be coming to fruition. As always the huge factor in a first game of the season will be the elimination of mistakes. The team that has the least penalties, critical turnovers, etc. will come out on top. I can't wait to find out who that might be.

How this all got started

This blog started out as a project for one of my technology classes this summer. I had no idea that it could be found. I did not release it to search engines until it appeared in both local Peoria newspapers. I just thought that it might be a neat way to log the year and go back and review things after it was all over. I had no idea that somebody could even find it. So, I will continue to write, but only certain people are invited to post and reply. If I opened it to all those genius critics out there we would have a mess. They have plenty of other places to impress people with their knowledge.

Things I am worried about

A couple of things beside the obvious performance of our football team. I hope that I will get to see one of my son's baseball games this week. He is a "ham and egger" to put it best. I will never be one to brag about his Baseball ability. The poor kid don't have a chance with the genes that his dad gave him! I just hope he loves the game, respects his team mates and coaches, and loves them for the place that they occupy in his life. I miss my family this time of the year. I'm home right now, but I have been working in the basement. The coaches left about an hour ago. I will get up and out of the house tomorrow morning around 5:30am, so I don't get much opportunity to spend time with them. A great time I had this week happened on Friday right after school. The buses had left, and because of the scrimmage being at 7:00, I did not have practice I got to sit with my daughter in front of the middle school while she waited for her mom to whisk her off to gymnastics practice. Even though it was 10 minutes it is time I cherish. I truly neglected the attention that I should have given them when they were so young and I realize that I can't get that back. I truly do enjoy those little moments that I can spend with them now. Holy smokes, I'll be sitting out in front of her dorm in just over four years.

Song on my mind this week: Garth Brooks "Standing Outside the Fire"

Let's play ball!!!