Glory Days

I am not sure why exactly...maybe it's watching my kids get older...maybe it's just me getting older, but lately, I have been thinking a lot about high school, about growing up in a small town, and about how, sometimes, just sometimes, I want to go back. Back in time.

I think what got me going all nostalgic was thinking about the upcoming holiday season and about Thanksgiving specifically. I was thinking that I haven't been to a Thanksgiving Day football game in...well, way too long. The Thanksgiving Day football game was "the thing to do" after Carver High School was built. In weird twist of fate, our opponent is Middleboro. Carver vs Middleboro. Oddly enough, I don't think I have been to a game since we moved to Middleboro, 4 years ago. You would think there would be some sort of internal struggle regarding who to cheer for but, the choice for me is easy. No matter where I live, Carver will always be my hometown. Cheering for a team other than the Crusaders would just be immoral.

My class was the first class to go through the school from 7th-12th grade. We were also the last class to graduate from the region before Plymouth and Carver split and Carver, finally, stood alone. Everything as new...the school itself, the clubs, the sports, and some of the teachers. I was able to take part in the naming of our high school team name and Mascot, the Crusader. I remember it coming down to the Cobras and the Crusaders and actually praying that my choice, the Crusaders would win out. It was no surprise of course that the school colors would be cranberry and gray. I remember managing the softball and wrestling teams and, when the wrestling team won the state championship during the same year that I would earn a letter jacket, having to choose between getting my letter jacket or the championship wrestling coat. I chose the wrestling jacket. I have no idea what happened to my letters or pins. Managing wrestling was probably the most fun I had in school, made even more fun because the team was so good. I think during every year of my management, we won something, whether it be a state or divisional championship, not that my management had anything to do with it.

Anyway, I think I am going to go to this years game. It will be good to go back, and share with my own kids a part of my history.