Okay, so yesterday I decided to dive into some local football action, you know, the kind that’s not on TV every five seconds. I’m talking about Hamilton vs. Stamford. Sounded like a good way to kill an afternoon, plus I’d been meaning to get out more.
First thing’s first, I looked up where the game was. Turns out Stamford was hosting, which meant a bit of a drive. Hopped in the car, grabbed a coffee, and punched the address into the GPS. Easy peasy. The drive wasn’t too bad, mostly backroads. I actually enjoyed the scenery for once.
Got to the field, paid for parking (surprisingly cheap!), and then started looking for the entrance. It was kinda tucked away, behind the bleachers. There were already a bunch of people milling around, families, some guys in team jerseys, the whole shebang.
Bought my ticket – again, super cheap compared to pro games – and found a spot on the bleachers. The view was decent. I could see most of the field pretty clearly. The sun was beating down though, so I wished I’d brought a hat.
The game itself was… well, it was high school football. Not exactly the most polished performance, but there was definitely some heart. Hamilton came out strong in the first quarter, scoring a quick touchdown. Stamford struggled to get their offense going.
Halftime was pretty standard – marching band, cheerleaders, kids running around. I grabbed a hotdog from the concession stand. It was… a hotdog. Nothing special, but it hit the spot.
The second half was a different story. Stamford seemed to wake up, their quarterback started making some good throws, and their running backs found some holes. They scored a couple of touchdowns and suddenly it was a close game.
The last few minutes were intense! Back and forth, penalties, close calls. Hamilton was clinging to a narrow lead. Stamford got the ball back with just over a minute left and drove down the field. They got within field goal range with seconds to spare. The crowd was going nuts!
Stamford’s kicker lined up, the snap was good, the hold was good… and he nailed it! Tie game! Overtime!
Overtime was a nail-biter. Each team gets a chance to score from the 20-yard line. Hamilton went first and scored another touchdown. Stamford needed to answer. They drove down to the 5-yard line but couldn’t punch it in. Fourth down… incomplete pass! Hamilton wins!
The Hamilton fans went wild. I gotta say, even I was caught up in the excitement. It was a good game, a really good game. Definitely worth the drive.
After the game, I walked back to my car, dodging the celebrating Hamilton fans. The drive home was pretty uneventful. Stopped for some ice cream on the way. All in all, a solid afternoon of local football. Would definitely do it again.
Lessons learned:
- Bring a hat. The sun is no joke.
- High school football can be surprisingly entertaining.
- Support your local teams!
