Friday Night Lights 2013: Week 1
To channel Buster Poindexter, tonight was hot hot hot. So hot, in fact, most of the area high school football games were delayed until after sundown.
Regardless, it was Week 1 of the 2013 high school football season in Iowa. (Week 0 officially kicked off the season last week.) Once again, I plan to attend a game each Friday night with my dad to watch prep pigskin and revel in the one of a kind ambience offered in the little stadiums that dot the Hawkeye State. And this year I have rebranded the series as Friday Night Lights. Unoriginal? Hell yes! The term is so iconic and emblematic that it is hard to avoid. Plus, it pays homage to the best sports journalism I have ever read.
Tonight we walked to Bates Field where City High hosted second-ranked Cedar Falls. My dad wanted to see the Cedar Falls lineman who recently committed to Alabama after teasing the Hawkeyes with a verbal. I am not a recruitnik by any means, but a kid who caught the eye of Nick Saban is worth a look. The Tigers ran behind him much of the first quarter and scored on their second possession after the Little Hawks took the lead with a field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, City High’s returner weaved his way through traffic, kept his balance, and eventually broke free for a 97-yard touchdown return.
After that, both offenses sputtered. Cedar Falls advanced the ball but the Tigers could never convert when they needed to. The Tigers also lost two fumbles in the first quarter but did intercept a City High pass. The Little Hawks also seemed a little unorganized, which is unsurprising in Week 1. A special teams player ran off the field after a penalty nullified a City High extra point; the Little Hawks took a delay of game penalty when he ran back on the field too late for the next attempt. City High also wasted timeouts early in each half to regroup. (On the other side, Cedar Falls ran a tight ship.)
After a lengthy stalemate, the Little Hawks sustained a long (probably eight-minute) drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters. They methodically drove it to the Cedar Falls five and were faced with a fourth-and-two. With the score 10-7, I expected them to go for it. Instead, City High settled for a field goal and pushed their lead to 13-7.
All Cedar Falls needed was a touchdown and extra point to take the lead, and I am sure you can guess what happened. They ran left and worked the outside edge to march down the field and take control, 14-13. The Little Hawks’ next drive stalled and Cedar Falls began eating clock.
It looked like the Little Hawks were dead in the water, but on a pivotal third down play to keep the clock running, the Tigers’ running back fumbled as he rolled to the right. The ball bounced along the ground for what seemed like forever — and nobody was nearby to recover it. The players scrambled toward the ball and the dispirited fans sitting in the home stands snapped to attention. A Cedar Falls lineman fell on top of the ball to secure it and the Tigers punted on fourth, pinning City High inside the ten with a little more than one minute left.
At this point, City High had no timeouts. They advanced the ball in big chunks and reached midfield with .4 seconds left on the clock. The quarterback heaved it toward the end zone and for a moment it looked like someone in a red jersey could pull it out of the sea of hands that reached for it. But the ball fell to the ground and sealed the Tigers’ win.
It was a grinding, hard hitting game on both sides of the ball. I will say that City High put up a good fight.
Regardless, it was Week 1 of the 2013 high school football season in Iowa. (Week 0 officially kicked off the season last week.) Once again, I plan to attend a game each Friday night with my dad to watch prep pigskin and revel in the one of a kind ambience offered in the little stadiums that dot the Hawkeye State. And this year I have rebranded the series as Friday Night Lights. Unoriginal? Hell yes! The term is so iconic and emblematic that it is hard to avoid. Plus, it pays homage to the best sports journalism I have ever read.
Tonight we walked to Bates Field where City High hosted second-ranked Cedar Falls. My dad wanted to see the Cedar Falls lineman who recently committed to Alabama after teasing the Hawkeyes with a verbal. I am not a recruitnik by any means, but a kid who caught the eye of Nick Saban is worth a look. The Tigers ran behind him much of the first quarter and scored on their second possession after the Little Hawks took the lead with a field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, City High’s returner weaved his way through traffic, kept his balance, and eventually broke free for a 97-yard touchdown return.
After that, both offenses sputtered. Cedar Falls advanced the ball but the Tigers could never convert when they needed to. The Tigers also lost two fumbles in the first quarter but did intercept a City High pass. The Little Hawks also seemed a little unorganized, which is unsurprising in Week 1. A special teams player ran off the field after a penalty nullified a City High extra point; the Little Hawks took a delay of game penalty when he ran back on the field too late for the next attempt. City High also wasted timeouts early in each half to regroup. (On the other side, Cedar Falls ran a tight ship.)
After a lengthy stalemate, the Little Hawks sustained a long (probably eight-minute) drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters. They methodically drove it to the Cedar Falls five and were faced with a fourth-and-two. With the score 10-7, I expected them to go for it. Instead, City High settled for a field goal and pushed their lead to 13-7.
All Cedar Falls needed was a touchdown and extra point to take the lead, and I am sure you can guess what happened. They ran left and worked the outside edge to march down the field and take control, 14-13. The Little Hawks’ next drive stalled and Cedar Falls began eating clock.
It looked like the Little Hawks were dead in the water, but on a pivotal third down play to keep the clock running, the Tigers’ running back fumbled as he rolled to the right. The ball bounced along the ground for what seemed like forever — and nobody was nearby to recover it. The players scrambled toward the ball and the dispirited fans sitting in the home stands snapped to attention. A Cedar Falls lineman fell on top of the ball to secure it and the Tigers punted on fourth, pinning City High inside the ten with a little more than one minute left.
At this point, City High had no timeouts. They advanced the ball in big chunks and reached midfield with .4 seconds left on the clock. The quarterback heaved it toward the end zone and for a moment it looked like someone in a red jersey could pull it out of the sea of hands that reached for it. But the ball fell to the ground and sealed the Tigers’ win.
It was a grinding, hard hitting game on both sides of the ball. I will say that City High put up a good fight.
