It's Football Season!

I'm not at all what you would call a rabid sports fan, but as a videographer, there's something magical about covering high school football.

I vividly remember the very first football game I ever covered: September, 1997, in Hamlin.  At the ripe old age of 22, I was a rookie photog for KRBC, and I remember driving up to Pied Piper Stadium in my Jeep Cherokee news vehicle, with the Backstreet Boys blaring on the radio.  Standing along the sidelines, carrying 50 pounds of 1970s-era Sony U-Matic 3/4" video gear, my sole focus was to attempt to follow the ball through the old-school black and white viewfinder.  I wasn't very good at it.  At all.  Luckily, Steve Strain and Mike Miller, the "9 NewsChannel" sports team, were able to pull a couple of highlights from my video.  But those first couple of years of shooting football were awesome. After moving to Florida in 1999, I had the opportunity to cover two seasons of HS football in the Sunshine State; and though football there is on a smaller scale, it was still fun.

2010 is my sixth season covering Big Country HS football since returning to KTAB/KRBC, and my tenth season overall as a videographer.  And though the equipment has changed....my new tapeless HD camcorder features a color HD viewfinder that's like watching a movie in your eye....the experience is still the same.  This Friday night will be typical.  I'll start the evening at Shotwell Stadium, doing 6pm live shots for both KTAB and KRBC previewing Cooper's Homecoming game.  At 6:30, I'll head to Haskell to get a couple of highlights.  Then I'll stop in Hamlin for a little while....I'm still sentimental about that place!  The goal is to be back at the studio by 9:15 or so....edit the highlights....then get back out to Shotwell by 10pm, and meet up with David Bacon so we can interview Coach Spradlin after the game is over.

It may sound like a lot of work, but it's fun.  And most of my time is spent driving, so that's my relaxation time.  And thanks to our team of videographers, we'll have highlights from more than a dozen Big Country games!

Here are some pictures of games I've covered so far this year....



Week 1:  The Early Longhorns visit the Cisco Loboes at Chesley Field.





After missing Week 2 due to illness, Week 3 finds us doing live coverage from Wylie as the Bulldogs host the Graham Steers.  One of our live vans, ENG-9, stands ready to broadcast our live reports back to the tv station.



Between the 6 and 10pm live shots at Wylie, I made the short drive to Tuscola as the Indians hosted the Munday Moguls.

Week 4 featured Abilene High hosting Tampa (FL) Plant HS in a Thursday night game that was aired live nationwide on ESPNU.  It was a rare opportunity for me to stay and watch an entire game...I was in charge of the KRBC 5, 6, and 10 live shots, while Goose took care of KTAB.  And though Shotwell Stadium has awesome new lights, ESPN brought in a set of mobile stadium lights that lit up the entire stadium like daylight.

On Friday night of Week 4, I traveled to Early as the Longhorns hosted the Sweetwater Mustangs.  This is one of those instances where you spend 1.5 hours driving there, spend 15-20 minutes at the game, then drive 1.5 hours back!