Connelly: Prep football same all over

For someone my age, I’d like to think I’ve had a privileged football experience thus far, both as a fan and journalist.

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, I learned at a young age high school football is king. Yes, there’s good hockey there. Yes, there’s great wrestling. But come Friday night at 7 p.m., going to your local football venue wasn’t optional — it was required.

As an eighth grader, I traveled to Hershey, Pa., to watch what’s now my alma mater — Pine-Richland — lose a double-overtime Class AAA state championship game to Manheim Central in a driving snowstorm. Now, 10 years later, I can still remember sitting there with a mound of snow in my lap devastated over a blocked extra point.

I don’t remember the exact moment I fell in love with the game, but if I had to guess I’d say that game was instrumental in it.

Unfortunately there’s not a lot of room in the National Football League for 5-foot-10, 170-pound guys who barely run a sub-5.0 40-yard dash. Fortunately, I found a way to stay involved in the game without playing. (My bank account, however, has not been as fortunate.)

After high school, I went to the only place one who loved the game of football as much as I did would go — SEC country. As fate would have it, the University of Tennessee decided to have its worst five years in school history while I was there. And yes, I squeezed one extra football season out of college to see if the Volunteers could turn things around. (Thanks for nothing, Derek Dooley.)

But I digress. Now I find myself back in the land of high school football. After a successful Week 1 in the books, when I saw Brookfield come back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter, I’ve officially gotten my first taste of northeastern Ohio football.

It didn’t, however, go without an early audible called in the 2013 season. My editor changed the play at the line of scrimmage Friday evening — changing my game.

“Hey Kevin, we’re switching it up, you’re going to Brookfield now. I gotta run.”

And with that, he was out the door to go do a WFMJ live shot and I was standing there looking perplexed.

Ah, the joys of being a sports journalist.

I want thank the good people of Brookfield and other places across Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties for providing The Vindicator with fine hospitality that would make people coming from the south, such as myself, feel right at home.

We may not wear the same colors on Saturday or Sunday, but the best part about Friday night is none of that matters. High school football brings communities together and reminds everyone, young and old, that sports — much like life — provides you with a roller coaster of emotions.

As I travel around Youngstown and the surrounding communities, I look forward to sharing those experiences. To quote “Friday Night Lights” — one my favorite TV shows — “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”

Write Vindicator sports writer Kevin Connelly at kconnelly@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Connelly_Vindy.