This One Is Going To Hurt For A While

There is no shame in it.

It has happened many times before to many different teams and will probably happen many more times to many more teams.

However, that does not change the fact that the Johnson Central Golden Eagles will remember this loss to the Fort Thomas Highlands Bluebirds for a long time to come. Knowing that they went toe-to-toe with the class program in the Commonwealth will not make it any easier to swallow. In fact, the vision of the goal line merely 15 yards away as the time ticked off the clock will be a haunting reminder of what almost was.

Some will replay all of the tide-turning events ad nauseum as though there is still an opportunity to change the outcome. They will place blame on players and coaches, pointing out the mistakes that were made by the players while questioning every coaching decision.

Neither team played a perfect game, but maximum effort was given by both squads and - even in this results-oriented ,win-at-all-cost sports landscape in which we currently reside - that still counts for something.

My advice to those parties involved? (Not that anyone asked)

Step back.

Don't continually replay the game over and over in your head. Nothing can be changed now so don't let the "what ifs" consume you.

Get away from football for a while.

It used to be that athletes changed sports as the seasons changed. Now, it is becoming more and more common for players to pick a sport or two and focus all of their attention on those sports throughout the entire year. For most of the young men that played last night, football has consumed their every thought for the past six months. Get away from the game for a while. Take some time for you. Relax for a change.

Just enjoy being a high school student.

Sometimes we forget that these are 15, 16, 17 and 18 year-old high school students. They are not adults or professional athletes. They are high school students and sometimes we adults put way too much pressure on these young people to perform. This is the best time of their lives and too often it is taken from them because they have the ability to run fast, hit hard and make plays. At least for just a little while, they need to enjoy being a high school student.

This loss will undoubtedly hurt for a while for the Johnson Central Golden Eagles.

However, as I look out my window this morning, I notice that the sun is still shining. It came up in the same place it always does and seems to be following the same pattern across the sky. So, things seem to be going according to schedule. I know this next sentence will seem blasphemous to some but it is worth writing.

It was just a football game.