Thriller was one of best games ever

Friday’s game was by far one of the best high school games I’ve ever seen. Both teams showed heart and will in a contest for the ages.

While I’m on the sidelines taking pictures, I try to stay quiet so that I’m not a distraction. But this time, I couldn’t help but yell and cheer the guys on as the game went down to the wire.

As I watched the Lexington players stop Rockdale on the final two-point conversion, I could see the frustration and disappointment on the faces of the Rockdale players. When things looked ugly early on, the Tigers clawed their way back. After playing their hearts out, falling just a few yards short of a great comeback victory had to be a tough pill to swallow.

As a person who’s lost a championship game by one point, I know the feeling all too well. It hurts even more because you know the other team isn’t better than yours. They just made a few more key plays that turned out to be the deciding factor.

Although it’s hard to find joy in a loss, I feel that the game will be a great learning experience for the Tigers. This marked the first time this season they had to play from behind in the fourth quarter and they did not fold.

When a team doesn’t play their best game, things can sometimes go south and end in a blowout. The fact that the Tigers didn’t play their best and only lost by one point showed the great amount of talent and heart on that field.

I respect the heart of Coach Campsey. After the last touchdown, a lot of coaches would have kicked the extra point and played an overtime. It took a lot of guts and trust in his players for Campsey to decide to go for the two-point conversion. Even though it was unsuccessful, I do not blame Campsey at all in going for it. The best coaches are willing to take risks and Campsey showed no fear.

I respect a coach that can admit his faults. During the post-game huddle, Campsey didn’t try to defer the blame on anyone. Even though the loss wasn’t totally on him, he did what a head coach is supposed to do and took the blame for it.

One thing the players have to learn is that you must stay positive when things aren’t going well. While I was standing on the sidelines, I heard too much negativity after certain plays didn’t work out.

While I understand the frustration because everyone wants to win, you cannot put your teammates down when someone makes a mistake. Your teammates are your brothers. You have to have each other’s back and motivate each other during the good and bad times.

I feel it’s better for Rockdale to experience a tough loss now rather than later. Therefore, they will be will more equipped to overcome adversity in games down the road.

Rockdale plays in one of the toughest divisions in the state, so I’m sure there will be more close games. Now the guys must decide whether they want to feel this type of disappointment again or work harder to avoid it. Great teams know how to bounce back, rise up and refuse to let one loss define them.

The unwavering support of the Rockdale fan base remained true. From persistent cheerleaders, to dedicated families, to excited band participants, to aggravated, screaming Rockdale moms, the passion the community has for this team is unbelievable.

With only three games played thus far, this season has already been a roller coaster of emotions for everyone. While I can’t predict what will happen the rest of the season, I anticipate that this will be an unforgettable first season of Rockdale football for me. I’ll see you all at the game on Friday. Go Tigers!