H.S. Football Playoffs Week 1 (Part 2): Paint Rock vs. Loraine

Game number two of Friday night was between the Paint Rock Indians and the Bulldogs of Loraine. Due to the delay to the start of the first game between Sterling City and Panther Creek, I was still editing and transmitting photos from that game when the second match up of the night started. Again I knew nothing of these to particular teams and had to ask the sports writers in the office what they thought the outcome of the match up might be. They agreed that the two teams were fairly similar, but giving an edge to Loraine. They also said that the game would most likely go all the way through the end of the fourth quarter.
It was an okay game, good scoring drives, strong defensive stands, but there just seemed to be something missing from the game. I'm not sure what it was. And I probably wouldn't be able to tell what it was anyway, since I have not shot a six-man game since the state championships from last year. Actually, it was probably that there wasn't enough noise being made to sound like a football game. You know, the band, cheerleaders, the roar of the crowd as the teams march up and down the field with the ball. I like six-man football, but there's just something that 11-man football that bring a little more excitement for me. Noise.
Of the teams that are still in the playoff picture as far as the Standard-Times in concerned, I believe we will be covering six-man teams farther in the playoff than our remaining 11-man teams, even though we do have some great 11-man teams left in the picture. I guess that's the cool thing about covering so many counties out here in West Texas. Our playoff runs can go pretty deep in just about every sport. And the towns that follow their home teams absolutely love the fact that we travel and report on the games. Plus, its nice to get out on the road and see the countryside a little.