DONELSON/HERMITAGE BBB WARRIORS 1996 SCHEDULE
Aug.31 8:15pm Warriors beat Bellevue 40-0 **
Sept. 7 bye
Sept. 14 4:30pm Warriors beat Woodbine 38-0 **
Sept. 21 1:30pm Warriors beat Green Hills 41-0 **
Sept. 28 3:30pm Warriors beat Lavergne 42-6 **
Oct. 5 * 3:30pm Warriors beat Murfreesboro 33-0 **
Oct. 12 6:00pm Warriors beat Smyrna 13-7 in a tough game
Click here to download 5.4Mb AVI video of Andy's 45yd punt!!!
Oct. 19 5:00pm Warriors beat Mt. Juliet 38-0 **
Oct. 26 6:30pm Warriors beat Old Hickory 52-18 **
Warriors finish season 8-0 and are Central Division Champs!!!
PLAYOFFS
Quarterfinals - Warriors beat Hendersonville 20-6
Andy played like a madman on defense... HE WAS EVERYWHERE!!!
Semifinals - Warriors lost to PAL 14-15... season ends
* = homecoming
** = league rule - game is over if lead is more than 30 pts in the 4th quarter
The 1995 football season was Andy's first year to play. Andy tried-out for and made the BB team of the Donelson/Hermitage Warriors 9-10 year old division. Some of Andy's teammates have been playing since they were 5; and, since Andy's birthday is only 2 days before the cutoff date, Andy was one of the youngest, smallest, and least experienced players in the division. He was playing against boys a full 2 years older than himself! Andy had his work cut out for him! By season's end, however, Andy earned starting positions on every team: offense, defense, kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return. That was no small feat when you consider that this team is one of the best in the league winning their Division Championship!!!
As you might imagine, Andy wasn't quarterback or running back or any of those other flashy positions; he was a lineman on both offense and defense. Lineman is one of those positions which traditionally get little or no glory. Throughout the year I (his father!) praised his amazing accomplishments and tried to let him know that I, his coaches, his teammates, and all the other parents were totally aware of all he and the other linemen did for the team. I told him that it was indeed a "TEAM" sport where every man's job was important, all contributing, the successes and failures shared by all. This point was made crystal clear in the final game of the year.
It was the city playoffs and the BB Warriors were in the hunt for the City Championship. At this level, the competition was stiff; and the BB Warriors had to play the Police Athletic League in the semi-final game. Lining up across from Andy was #70: the biggest, toughest, dirty playingest dude we've seen. At 140lbs, he was more than twice Andy's weight of only 65lbs, and he stood more than a full head taller than Andy. The 1st half was dismal for both offenses as it soon turned out to be a defensive battle, but PAL managed to score on a broken play. On the offensive side of the ball, the Warriors just couldn't get anything going; #70 seemed to be everywhere... always in our face! However, the second half was a completely different story! Andy started to manhandle #70. Play after play, down after down, Andy made #70 a non-factor. The Warriors started moving the ball too! In fact, we scored a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. The BB Warriors lost that game. There were sad players and parents all around, but I couldn't help but be proud as a peacock. It took a lot of restraint to wait until we were out of earshot of the others before I could start congratulating Andy on his very fine performance. It was a terrific example of how one man, even a lowly lineman, makes a huge contribution to the team. I told Andy that he had nothing to be sorry about, that he had played ONE WAIL OF A GAME!!!
A couple weeks later, the BB Warriors held their end of year banquet. At the banquet, the head coach gave a little 5 minute speech about each of the players as he presented them with their trophies. The Warriors head coach, Rocky, is a tough, very macho, body builder, Al Bundy, played high school football, yells all the time, type of guy. He liked to give each speech without naming the player he was referring too, then introduce the player at the end of the speech. Most speeches included the most humorous moment from the season, or the most inspirational facts about the player. About 2/3 the way through, Rocky started talking about one of his little men. "This kid..........." was all he could manage to get out. He had to back away from the podium because he was too moved to continue. There was a full 2 minute delay as Rocky struggled to regain his composure. He finally started speaking again but was visibly shaken for the entire speech; which was made even tougher, because this speech lasted a full 15 minutes. Although he still hadn't spoken the name of the player, I knew exactly who he was talking about; and I was in serious danger of breaking down myself!!! Rocky told of his pride in coaching a player who worked so hard, listened so well, and earned starting spots on a tough team in his first year. He described the player as: a straight "A" student; a little guy who, as a lineman, had to knock heads with the biggest and toughest players in the league; and a courageous player who, during a time-out in the PAL game when coach went into the huddle, saw him crying and holding bruised ribs. Knowing of the struggle and the beating he was taking in that game, coach asked him if he wanted to "come out of the game". That player, knowing he had to go back and face up to #70, a 140lb monster, looked back at coach with fire in his eyes and shouted, "NO WAY SIR!"....Of course, coach Rocky had been talking about my boy Andy! That speech was the greatest thing I have ever heard in my entire life! Coach re-affirmed everything I'd been telling Andy all season long. I was about to BURST!!!!
The agenda for the evening called for dinner followed by a dance. The dance portion of the evening finally came; and, 9 and 10 year old boys being what they are, the dance rapidly deteriorated into free-for-all! I took that as a god-send because I could act all mad at the boys and use it as my excuse to get the heck out of there! We were FINALLY leaving!!! The instant we hit the front door to the hotel, I handed the car keys to Lisa, told Andy to ride in the front seat with his mother, and I just started bawling! I sat in the back seat of the car and just cried my eyes out the whole way home. I was blubbering to Andy, "See! What did I tell you? You're the greatest kid EVER!!!" and other stuff like that. I told Andy that I was no longer his macho father, I was just a big fat baby from that day forward!
END
Andy was away at camp and missed the 1st week of practice. The first week of practice was spent in T-shirts and shorts preparing the boys physically for the grueling weeks of work that lay ahead. August in Tennessee is just about like a sauna, so everyone needs a little time to get themselves adjusted to the heat! That's what Andy missed.
Andy showed up the first day of the 2nd week of practice in full pads. The really hard work and hard hitting practices were about to begin. Coach Rocky expects 100% out of his men on every drill in every practice; and, by God, his men do their best to give it to him. Imagine for a moment being heavily dressed in football uniform, launching yourself, full speed, into your opponent, time after time, in 98 degree heat and 85% humidity. Then, to close practice, the dreaded wind sprints: racing back and forth, accelerating to full speed, running 20 yards or so, then decelerating, 10 or 15 reps. It's brutal!
I arrived to collect Andy just as practice was ending. All Rocky's men were huddled around him on one knee, and each was sucking air VERY hard. Rocky was complaining about how out of shape they all were and putting the fear of God into them about how it was going to be at the next day's practice. He finally dismissed the players and we all trudged away very slowly.
As soon as we got out of earshot, far enough away from Rocky that a whisper could go unnoticed, Andy started to sob. A few steps further and the tears were really coming, and he was holding his arm or side or something. I was really taken aback and was feeling for my little man. I asked if he was hurt, and he answered, "nooooo...*sniff*". Maaaan, I was on the verge of tears myself! My mind started racing trying to think of a way to cheer him up about the long practice season ahead, but what could I do? And that's when it hit me. It was time for Andy to learn to use his first curse word!!! I told him "You know what you need? You need to cuss! Just say DAMN!" A grin started to form on his lips immediately! "No!" is all he could say at first (I raised him properly!). I told him, "That's what cuss words are for. Go ahead, just say DAMN!". By now, his face was totally lit up with a huge grin, and he started to giggle. Very little more coaxing was required, and he finally said, "Damn pads!" as he was removing his shoulder pads. We both laughed very hard and I threw my arm around him as we continued to walk toward the car. What a huge moment we had just shared! Then, just as I was feeling pretty good about myself, the fatherly instinct took over and I went into a 5 minute disclaimer about, "don't ever say that at school, or in front of your friends. And don't tell your mother. Heck, don't say it in front of ANYONE but me!!!" We had another laugh at that!
Practices have gotten much much easier for Andy, as his body responded by getting stronger. He remembers how to breath and all the rest; so, at the end of the day, he is not in nearly such bad condition! But still, every day, after practice, just as we get out of earshot of the others, as Andy is taking off his shoulder pads, he looks at me and smiles and says, "damn pads!"; and I love it!
END
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