Football Rivalry/Growing up in Venice, Florida, parts 2 and 3 from 2008

The game we worked last night turned out to be a rivalry game between the Grand Lake Rivals, Celina and St. Marys, a Freshman game...we were warned that the bad blood that usually is a sidelight when the two schools play would be front and center.  Seems the boys were verbally battling back and forth on Facebook during the week...the contest was as advertised.

The teams had played early in the season, with Celina coming out on top....this game replaced each teams scheduled contest because their original opponents had not fielded a Freshman team...St. Marys came to this side of the lake looking for revenge, and got it, by a final of 44-18.  That score however, was not the story of this game...

The bad blood spilled over into the contest, and although we did not eject any players, coaches, or fans, we certainly could have....at least 20 flags were thrown, for a variety of reasons, mostly late hits, swearing{and we are not talking "Hell and Damn"}, personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc....the end came none to soon, and not without some verbal sparing between one leather lung Celina "Fan" and me.  All I really can say is, if my boys had acted like what I saw on the field last night, they would have had my foot so far up their asses, they wouldn't have been able to sit for a week.

Anyway, that contest leaves me with just two nights of football in this season, then I can get ready for the basketball schedule....frankly I am looking towards the trip to Wisconsin and the 3 weeks off between my season.  Friday Night I will travel with the crew I worked with this past week...all the way to the Ohio River town of Ironton, for another rivalry game, between the home teams and Portsmouth.  220 miles away...wow, like driving to Chicago for a game....I will park the car in Columbus and take the crew van the rest of the way...it's gonna be a long night.  Saturday I turn around and work the Youth League double header championships at Celina Stadium...JVs at 5:30 with the Varsity to follow.   Then sweet relaxation for a few weeks....

Growing up in Venice, Florida {parts 2 and 3 from 2008}

Today I will link up with 2 more parts of my Blogger look at growing up on the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s.....The family moved to South Venice, Florida in 1954 and we spent the next decade in that sunny land of sand and salt water:  Here is part 2 from my April 2008 look back:{click link}

 http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/2008/04/growing-up-in-venicept-2-alston-years.html

And this would be part 3: {again click link below}

 http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/2008/04/venice-floridapt-3-venice-by-way.html

back later>>>
  
Photos-   {top-The South Jetties on the Gulf of Mexico at Venice Beach, Florida....I spent many hours fishing off those jagged rocks, the one part of Venice that hasn't changed much since my childhood.
Football and Fireworks at last nights game was in full focus...A cropped photo of our 5th Grade Class at Venice Elementary...that's me with the goofy look, mugging behind our teacher Mrs Holmes...and my buddy Ron Dinero, who I found after nearly 50, is on the bottom left....and a 1988 photo on a visit to the old hometown...Dick and Meadows Drug Store on West Venice Avenue....where we spent many summer days reading sports magazines, and sipping on those great tasting "Cherry Cokes" from the fountain.