Writing Friday Night Lights

Anthony Hamilton

After spending a long day on one job, I have another job to go to, but this one, for me, is a whole lot of fun, at the Texarkana Gazette.

While most high school football fans are packed into the stadium, cheering on their favorite High School team I get the opportunity to report on these games after completion.

I’m an entry-level sportswriter at the Gazette. This past Friday was my second week on the job, and as expected, my learning curve, as well as what was expected of me, increased drastically.

I enjoyed every minute of it. There is a good bit of slow time early where we just follow the games on the internet and share a little bit of football talk. This time would be equivalent to the quiet before the storm, because when the games end, the phones begin to ring off the hook, and the game reports are coming really fast and furiously.

Two games I wrote about on Friday night really stood out for me. I actually wished I could have attended either one, because looking at the stat lines they both appeared to be extremely entertaining.

Hooks defeated DeKalb by virtue of a 4th quarter touchdown. DeKalb turned the ball over once, and I believe that did them in.

The other game was Nashville (Arkansas) at Watson Chapel in Pine Bluff. I’m sure both defensive coordinators were disgusted, as there was over a thousand yards of offense, and 117 total points scored in the game. I believe Watson Chapel’s coordinator should have been more upset, as they were torched by 1 player, I believe the quarterback who rushed for 362-yards, passed for 209 and had 7 touchdowns. The final score was 69-48.

I happened to receive this game right as deadline was approaching like a runaway freight train. I love the pressure though, and I got it done with a couple of minutes to spare. I got to see firsthand why deadlines are harped on in the classroom setting.

I’m happy to be able to work in my major, doing something I enjoy, and hope this is just the beginning of great things to come.

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