Glory days are here to stay

As high school football moves into the post season and sectional championships loom, I'm reminded of times when I was lucky enough to experience America's great game first-hand.

Whether it was through school, for fun or even as part of our youth-run and Sandlot-esque Darlington Football League (apply named the DFL -- clever, I know), the plan was always the same: gear up, have fun and score as many touchdowns as possible.

This "DFL" consisted of roughly a dozen boys between the ages of 10 and 15 and was formed out of necessity due to a lack of youth football programs in the North Montgomery school district. We governed, educated and prepared ourselves ahead of becoming (what we believed was) the ultimate character in football lore -- a North Montgomery Charger.

And for good reason, too.

The North Montgomery Chargin' Charger football team, led throughout the '90s by head coach Charlie German, won the Class 2A Indiana State Championship in both 1995-96, forever etching the players' images in the minds of all Charger-hopefuls.

I'll never forget the excitement of going to those games. To look back on it, I must have seen those 17 and 18 year-old players as fully-grown men hashing out the ultimate battle. Though that view has somewhat diminished over time, it's nice to see that the reasoning still stands.

"Kids these days" continue to enjoy the game by playing it as hard as they can and, in doing so, bring the spirit of football to life on a regular basis. They continue to inspire younger generations to pick up the pig-skin and tackle each other, experiencing teamwork, loyalty and achievement in the process.

There's no wonder as to why high school football fans around the country get so excited about their respective teams. It's live; it's action-packed; it's suspenseful; it's personal. Nearly everyone in attendance at a high school sport has some sort of connection with the action -- that's what makes this particular level of football unique.

No matter how much excitement we get in the bleachers or on the sidelines, it's nothing compared to what the players experience. The stands are little more than a second thought to the kid running down the field with the ball or the one chasing after him. The kid who is deep in the trenches with the other linemen surely has his eyes on the prize and isn't thinking of how "cool" that move looked or what people will say afterward -- to the players there is only one goal in mind:

Win.

As we continue to progress through the playoffs and watch teams like the North Putnam Cougars and the South Putnam Eagles march onward, we need to (above all) remember that, as fans, we aren't only there for the excitement it brings us -- we're there for the excitement it brings to the players.