In Oklahoma, football is king. Always has been...in fact, Oklahomans have been playing football for longer than Oklahoma has been a state. OU played its first football game (and the only game of that season) against the Oklahoma City team on November 7, 1895. The next year, OU played the squad from Norman High School. So in 1896, eleven years before statehood, there were at least three football teams: Oklahoma City, Norman High School, and the University of Oklahoma. Undoubtedly, there were more. We play regular 11-man, of course, but we also have at least 78 schools that play 8-man football. One of those 78 is a very-small-town school southwest of Oklahoma City, Gracemont. Gracemont is something special, because in spite of the school's existing for over 100 years, Gracemont has never fielded a football team. In fact, most of Gracemont's starters had never touched a football in an organized game or even organized practice prior to two months ago.
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This past Friday night, Gracemont played its first varsity football home game ever. They played a scrappy squad from Riverfield Country Day School, a small independent school in the country-suburban area of west Tulsa. The Gracemont folks obviously have a lot of pride in their new team, as evidenced by the huge turnout, and the fact that nearly everyone in attendance wore their blue "Year 1" shirts for the game. The atmosphere was incredible...both teams worked together to unfurl a huge 40-foot-long American flag that they held and fluttered during the National Anthem (if you look at the video in the link above, you'll be able to see it in action). The clock operator and announcer were both obviously new, not knowing all the officials' signals or understanding exactly what calls were being made when. But it was an exciting experience. From the opening prayer (remember, small-town Oklahoma football) to the final play, it was special; historic, in its own small way.
How do I know all of this? I was there. I had the honor and privilege of officiating this game, at the back judge spot. It was special for me, because it was only the second varsity game I have officiated, and my first of this season. But it was made even better by the special status and atmosphere of this game. I wish I could tell you that this story had a Cinderella ending, and that Gracemont fought hard and beat Riverfield. Unfortunately, that would not be the truth. Gracemont's players showed a lot of heart, but in the end, they lost, as they did with their program's first-ever game the week before, an away game at tiny Waynoka. In fact, thanks to the 45-point mercy rule used in Oklahoma 8-man football, we were finished a mere two minutes into the third quarter. But that didn't seem to matter as much to the hometown folks, who were just thrilled to be there, in that place, for that game, just like I was.
In officiating, you get some interesting experiences that you would never get anywhere else: watching some very exciting games from the best seat in the house, being in close proximity celebrities, watching the Sports Stars of Tomorrow as they grow into their potential. But every once in a while, you get to be part of something great, something better than the average game. I am just thrilled and honored that I was able to be part of it. I'm not trying to make it out to be some amazing thing, something earth-shattering; but to those players, and to the people of Gracemont, it was momentous, something they'll remember for the rest of their lives and beyond. I got to be a small part of that. And THAT is what it's all about.
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