College Football Saturday-Week 11

In the Morning

I have to be on the road by 5:45am for College Football Saturday and I've only had about an hour of sleep.

Since my son who is almost 2 years old has bronchiolitis, he was having a hard time getting to sleep and so was I. My wife wasn't feeling well and she dealt with the baby so I had to tend to him. He's wide awake so we got up and I got him something to eat and chilled with him. It's 2:30am. I'm just wondering how am I going to be able to not only ref but be on my A-game and praying for my family's health at the same time.

Just like that it's time to get ready and meet the guys. I'm out the door at 5:30am and driving to meet the fellas at a Park & Ride. While waiting for them there is another group of guys waiting on people. Next thing I know one of them walk over to me.
I say, "Hey Ralph!" It's a fellow wrestling official. Ralph tells me "We're waiting on a few other guys and then we're taking off. " I reply, "Oh is this where you guys are meeting for the Columbus wrestling clinic?" He says, "Isn't that why you're here?" I explain to him no and that I'm meeting my crew members for our game. Funny how that worked out. Wrestling will come along soon enough.

So the guys pull up a second later, and we're off!

My stomach

Before meeting them I got a chocolate milk and some sunflower seeds to eat on the way up. BIG MISTAKE!

We're headed 3 hours up north to Wooster College as they will do battle with Wittenberg. But first the four of us are meeting the other three guys at a restaurant not to far from there for breakfast.

I should be exhausted but I'm actually doing well with not being tired, but then the sunflower seeds mixed with chocolate milk and me worrying about the family isn't setting well and now my stomach is turning like no other. It's awful. I get to the restaurant and my stomach is throwing a fit. All I can think is you've got to be kidding me.

So I'm praying for my stomach, my family, and my health so I don't get sick. I'm feeling pretty confident that I'll be fine and I very rarely get sick. So I decide to eat a little at the restaurant. This helps slightly.

We then leave and Jonesey has me cracking up! I'm cracking up laughing and this definitely helps the stomach. Jones you funny guy you!

Then we get to the game site have a little pre-game and then I take some alone time and work on the stomach. Next thing you know I get a text from my wife and my son is doing better and his breathing is no longer contracting, but the baby congestion is still there and my wife is ok. It was like spinach! Now I'm ready to rock!

Pregame

We are all getting ready and are aware that the weather report earlier in the week said it would be raining and possibly snow! Oh how we wished it snowed!

When we arrived at the school before 10:30am it was raining a little but by the time we hit the field an hour before kickoff it was fine. The weather wasn't that bad. Man was this ever a set-up!

You would have thought we were at Lambeau Field in Green Bay it got so cold and wet.

We got the captains, we got the flip, and the best team on the field will stand together for the last time this year. Let's go get'em guys!

Now you may think I'm being over dramatic by writing all this but I want to asure you that it's not the case at all. I have just had a trying few days and a odd past 12 hours, so my competitive juices are flowing! Who am I competing with? MYSELF!

Every game I'm competing and playing a game while officiating! I'm out there to do my thing and give it my best and overcome and do the things I got to do just like the players and coaches do.

It's gametime baby!

Gametime!

These two teams that are doing battle today are having a good season. From what I was told the winner has a chance for the playoffs. So just like that we have the kickoff!

But here comes rain! And the wind! And the tempature drop!

Oh my gosh were we cold. It didn't even matter that I didn't get much sleep because I'm wide awake and on my toes greatful that I'm able to officiate this year after coming back from a bad injury and after my family's health has been restored!

Now this game is like an old-school football game. You know the kind we liked to play in when we were kids. Hard hitting, smash-mouth, and MUDDY!

Yeah, the players and refs are muddy from the start. The players are pumped up and they're getting at it. At the end of the first quarter the score is still 0-0.

The home team started the second quarter with a score going up 7-0 and then add another score after an interception making it 14-0.

I had my first of two penalties for a holding on the kickoff.

Later in the quarter Wittenberg grabs an interception and return it for a touchdown. Missed the extra point and it's 14-6.

Let me tell you we are freezing cold in this game. Right before the half Wooster scores again and it's 21-6 at the half.

Needless to say that at the half we were all changing clothes. What made it so cold was the rain. So I'm out of my drenched clothes and the only thing that I wear in the second half that I had on in the first are my cleats. After halftime one of the players commented on my pants and wanted to know how they were so white and clean.

Thank goodness that it doesn't rain a lick in the second half but it is extremely windy. I'll take it. It was windy enough that it was making my face numb and my mouth was moving like a slow motion movie, but long as the rain stayed away I was cool (No pun intended).

The second half is like the first. Hard hitting and mud slinging. A lot of turnovers in this game and I guess no surprise with the weather the way it was.

In the end the home team won 27-6. Game is over and we are off the field.

End of a Great Season

It felt so good to hit the showers and get that warm water on my body. The school provided a nice lunch afterwards and we took our time eating eat and talking. We had fun this season and created some new memories. Hopefully if any of us get a playoff game we will be officiating together.

We say our goodbyes and head home. The four of us stop and get some hot chocolate. When we get back to the Park & Ride we say our goodbyes as well.

The day isn't over for me yet. My wife had sent me a text message on the way home to pick up a few items. So I hit Wal-mart and pick up some groceries and now I head home.

My boy is doing better and our girl is doing ok and looks adorable. My wife is doing fine and we have ourself some food. You would have thought I had enough of football but that isn't the case.

Two local high school powers in Colerain vs Elder are playing on tv. We start watching the game but a little after halftime we crash and go to bed.

In the morning we watch the rest of the game on DVR and see that it was an awesome instant classic double overtime game. Wow!

Just think, the weekends not over yet. Church and NFL Sunday.