Small towns supporting high school sports

[MNElkNut]

My boys are on the high school football team and we are headed to state tomorrow after a thrilling 99 yard touchdown pass beat the #1 team in the state in Section playoffs late in the 4th quarter. On their way back, the police gave them an escort to the high school. Both police and fire trucks will escort them tomorrow morning to the freeway as well. A local restaurant is donating breakfast to 80 kids plus coaches. Everywhere you go, people are talking about it and wearing Alexandria Cardinal gear. The fever is high. We are a town of 15,000 people. The stands are always packed. We had to ask for more visitor section bleachers at the last game in Moorhead.

When many are people are talking doom and gloom, it sure is a nice change.

One down side? Opening day of our 9 day deer season is tomorrow. I love hunting as much as anyone, but state football is a once in a lifetime thing. I will hunt for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the morning. Hopefully I will text my brother a picture of a buck and tell him he is on guttin' and gillin' duty.

 

[Ben Lamb]

That's awesome. Thank you for sharing, and go Cardinals!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

This sounds awesome!

 

[duckhunt]

Great stuff

 

[noharleyyet]

Good stuff, best of luck...

 

[Dave N]

Good luck on both counts!

 

[Irrelevant]

15k is small?

 

[Sawtooth]

As a high school and middle school teacher and coach, I love hearing stories like this. As college NIL deals are already trickling down to the high school level, I fear that these stories are going to be harder and harder to find. Nike just signed a highschool basketball player to a $4 million NIL deal. Best of luck to your team and Community. @MNElkNut My Dad's side of the family had a farm between Clarissa and Eagle Bend in the 1910's and considered Alexandria "the Big City"

 

[Nameless Range]

Love it. I find a lot of comfort in my small community where we live. It’s where I see human competence and service to others the most.

I know that’s not the case for everyone. One side of the coin is everybody knows your business, which can be a negative. The other side of the coin though, is a large portion of that “everybody” knows you and cares for you.

Go Cardinals!

 

[morley.tyler]

I love hearing stories like this; they make me smile. However, I have to laugh when I hear someone refer to a "small town" of 15K people. That was a F*cking city when I was a kid. I grew up 15 miles north of a town of 4500. Nonetheless, the Elks Club took care of the football team's breakfast.

 

[mtmuley]

We made it to the State championship football game when I was in high school in 1983. Stevensville, Montana had a population of 1200 I think. Most of the town was there. On Friday nights, a lot of the town was closed. mtmuley

 

[Straight Arrow]

Small town sports is not a small thing. Montana PBS has a documentary called Class C Basketball, which is a great illustration of the importance of small school girls' basketball. Some of the teams are even a combination of small school girls from schools which have to unite to form a team. It brings out the whole town and the excitement is palpable. It's all about what really makes America great!

Yeah ... Go Cardinals!

 

[perma]

My town didnt have a football team, barely had enough for basketball. 300 people total.

 

[Dakota79]

Congratulations to them.

I grew up outside of a small town of 300. We play 9 man football and most of the players play both sides. We have won state 2 times and gone several more. Both of my brothers and I were on the teams that went. We live in the very northwest corner of the state and state football is in the very southeast corner of the state. Going from a field that is uneven with rocks and cockle burs to playing on artificial grass in a dome was big stuff. There would be one bus for the players and one for the fans. Great times.

 

[SwaggyD]

Love it. Good luck to your boys and to you!

 

[MNElkNut]

The talent on this team is incredible. The QB has a full ride to Clemson for basketball and is 6’8”. 9 others may play college football somewhere including our kicker who is going to Minnesota ( he has made 65 yarders in practice and a few 50+ yarders in games). I ran into a guy tonight who said the officials that did the Moorhead game said it was the best high school game the have ever refereed.

But our competition is also really good. They are all good at this stage.

Yes, to some 15,000 isn’t small. But we are an out state team that plays some big city competition and the whole town supports the team so well! This is just so fun!!!!

Thanks for the well wishes and I will report back with results!

 

[huntertx]

Small town sports is not a small thing. Montana PBS has a documentary called Class C Basketball, which is a great illustration of the importance of small school girls' basketball. Some of the teams are even a combination of small school girls from schools which have to unite to form a team. It brings out the whole town and the excitement is palpable. It's all about what really makes America great!

Yeah ... Go Cardinals!

This is a great documentary!

 

[hank4elk]

Quemado,NM. Maybe 500 souls within 50 miles.
The Eagles,K-12. Too small for any football.
Basketball,Track & Field & Volleyball.

I gave up correcting the local kids. I worked for a living. I am not a Sir.
Support the school with what this old guy can.
My source for roasted NM Chiles in fall. Some years part of a 4-H project for a friends kid.
6 elk tags offered to local kids,more to the parents. $20-40 bucks at a time into the ol Jar.

Filling up in spring I saw Travis in greens. " Heading Out?" I asked as he fueled the Green Crew rig. "Yes Sir!, Heading to OR on 1st deployment as a Hot Shot."
"I'll never get you to stop calling me sir will I? " I asked, laughing. "No Sir" was his reply.
We both bust out laughing. "You be safe out there " , I said. "I will, Sir" was his reply.

Known this kid most of his life.
Not running for NM State on a full ride this year. Obligation to his community.
He gave his 1st bull tag, that I gave him, to his little brother that year. They filled it with mom watching.
His little bro Jack is now a state champ cowboy poet. Gave his mom a new laptop for him in spring for school.

Another half a dozen of these kids in the area I have tried to help. A little help.
A few have made it.
The school has a new bus for rides to games , etc...I threw in he jar last year.

 

[warmer]

Congratulations to them.

I grew up outside of a small town of 300. We play 9 man football and most of the players play both sides. We have won state 2 times and gone several more. Both of my brothers and I were on the teams that went. We live in the very northwest corner of the state and state football is in the very southeast corner of the state. Going from a field that is uneven with rocks and cockle burs to playing on artificial grass in a dome was big stuff. There would be one bus for the players and one for the fans. Great times.

Harding County?

 

[BackofBeyond]

I love hearing stories like this; they make me smile. However, I have to laugh when I hear someone refer to a "small town" of 15K people. That was a F*cking city when I was a kid. I grew up 15 miles north of a town of 4500. Nonetheless, the Elks Club took care of the football team's breakfast.

And we had to drive the 36 miles to that big city because ya’ll had 2 movie theaters AND Taco Bell.