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| LONGVIEW - Even as a journalist it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement of Longview Lobo football fever.
One fo the first lessons drummed into journalism students is to maintain objectivity at all times. But the Green and White fever that has seized our city has permeated into my own home. My children have their "Go Lobos" signs and have had me call in the results of each of the four previous playoff games immediately after its ended. The good news has been greeted with whooping cheers. Even my wife has enjoyed the success of Longview High. My family will be attending Saturday's state championship at the Astrodome in Houston. They'll certainly be seated among the expected throng from Longview. However, here is the quandary faced by our family. Angela is a graduate of Kat High School, which is Longview's opponent for the Class 5A Division I title game. Yes Lobo fans, there are skeletons - the red and white kind - in my family closet. Not only is Angela a 1981 graduate, but so is my sister-in-law and her husband and my brother-in-law. My younger sister Pam's husband, Scott, is not only an ex-Tiger, but was captain of the football team his senior year. Oh, the shame of it all. We're managing to take it all in stride. But our seven-year-old son, Timothy, did tell hs mother, upon learning who Longview's state final opponent would be, that the Lobos would kick Katy's you-know-what. Ten-year-old Elizabeth has just gone around the house giving the "thumbs up" sign. Eden, our five-year-old, I must say is probably looking forward to the trip to her grandpa's house where they'll spend the weekend in Houston. Since we live in the Longview school system, our children are future Lobos. Actually, Angela considers Katy's appearance int he final as somewhat miraculous. Yes, the Tigers made the state championship game in 1994, only to lose to Plano. But during her high school years the school's football program was somewhat less than impressive, culminating in a 1-9 record her senior year. Even during their best years, when Uncle Scott was the captain, the Tigers could muster no better than a 6-4 record. At that time, only one team from each district went to the playoffs. With three teams now going, that record would be good enough. Take heart Lobo fans, my wife is accustomed to seeing Katy lose. You can count on Timothy and Elizabeth being dressed in Green and White come Saturday. Timothy will proudly wear his 12-5A district championship t-shirt. Now if we can just get Angela into something green. As for this reporter, I'll go with the Lobos. Sorry dear. |