Last night the Porterville Panther Varsity football team defeated the Monache Marauders quite handily. The Granite Bowl trophy will reside at PHS this next year.
Big deal! The last time I checked every one of those kids playing football, riding the bench, playing in the band, or sitting in the stands cheering, hails from Porterville and the surrounding area. Let's just call it Tule River Country.
If the only thing we value is a win, then Porterville defeating Monache last night is a big deal. Sometimes, though, I think we miss an important point about cross-town rivalries.
Monache came into existence long after I graduated from Porterville High. I had the privilege of returning to PHS as a teacher for over ten years. During that time I also served three years as the Athletic Trainer, always under the watchful eye of our team physician, doing most of the taping of feet and ankles, while caring for a variety of other sore and tender body parts. I got to be right on the field with the teams for three Granite Bowl games.
I was always a bit disconcerted by some of the overly-enthusiastic cheering from one side or the other. However, that's a part of the game, and I understand it. And, I also have to own up to the fact that I participated regularly in many rousing Pep Rallies in the Boy's Gym. Oops, that's the "Red Brick Gym" now. Oh goodness me ... we MUST be PC!
But I digress. My all-time favorite story about football games between Monache and Porterville occurred the year a most unfortunate event happened during the Porterville/Exeter game.
The game was close. Exeter was pressing. It was late in the game and both teams were playing well and playing valiantly. The score is not important, nor who won. It was simply a hard-fought game, being played by good kids.
The Exeter quarterback settled under his center to take snap. A fired-up Panther defensive back was anxious to stop the drive. He tried to time an excited, driving leap over the line to catch the Exeter quarterback exactly when the ball was snapped and before he could step back.
Whether the quarterback sensed he could draw an offside penalty by delaying his count, or whether the defender simply jumped offside is irrelevant. In the instant before the ball was snapped the Porterville back flew across the line, knocking the Exeter quarterback unconscious.
The ambulance was immediately summoned. Full c-spine precautions were taken, and the young man was rushed to the hospital for evaluation. However, after a full examination the quarterback, none the worse for wear, was released to his parents. He'd taken a severe blow, for certain. But youth and good sports equipment, combined with a good night's sleep, soon had him back in good shape.
But there was a great uproar from fans on both sides, and from all over. Articles appeared in the paper, bordered in black. Letters to the Editor were published. There were accusations of all sorts.
I had an opportunity to speak to the father of the quarterback a few days later. His son told him, "Dad, don't blame him. He was simply playing as hard as he could. So were we. If he'd have been an instant later and the ball would've been in my hands, he'd have been a hero. He simply beat the snap by an instant, so he's a goat. You can't blame him for playing hard."
The Granite Bowl was to be played two weeks later. But with all the uproar and hoopla over the Porterville/Exeter game, school officials feared reprisals or "get-backs." They took great precautions to prevent any such problems. Nobody was to be allowed to go between sides at Jameson Stadium. Even the teams were going to be carefully kept a safe distance from each other, except on the field for the games.
At 4:00 PM the Freshman teams met at Jameson Stadium. Everyone involved was on edge fearing some untoward event. PHS was the home team that year, sitting on the west side of the field. The Porterville Freshmen were delivered to the northwest gate. MHS players were delivered to the northeast gate. School officials stationed themselves between the players as they entered Jameson.
The game was played, though who won has faded over the years. But it was a good clean game, uneventful, and the final gun sounded with nothing unpleasant happening. The players were hustled back to their respective gates to load on the waiting bus. But, the busses were late.
So, here stood 60 football players, all Freshmen, probably about 14 years old give or take a year either way, huddled around opposite corners outside the north fence. Blue and Gold on the east, Orange and Green on the west, but they were all Tule River Country kids.
These kids had been playing baseball, basketball, and other sports on various teams together for years before going to high school. They were friends. They'd just played a good game against their friends, and now they were being ushered out separate gates to the non-waiting separate busses.
Within minutes there was great confusion. The kids, admittedly sometimes smarter than us adults, solved the problem immediately. They mingled with their friends, shook hands, laughed, talked, and chatted. And do you know ... there was not one harsh word among those kids? Not one.
I don't know who won the Varsity game that year. MHS was pretty powerful then, and PHS often struggled. So Monache probably gave the Panthers another drubbing. Regardless, every player was from Tule River Country.
Whether Monache succeeds, or Porterville succeeds, or Granite Hills succeeds, the truth of the matter is simply this: the athletes and students from Tule River Country are succeeding.
As one parent put it, "Porterville is up for the moment. Monache'll be back." And they will. And so will Granite Hills.
And whichever school they attend, they'll bring success, honor and plenty of excitement to Tule River Country!
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