Before we get into the replay of the live podcast, let me personally say the game day crew at Norcross couldn’t have been better hosts. As you’ll hear, their was plenty of action and interaction all around us, and that was just in the booth! Here are a couple of shots of the set up in the booth. It’s not very long but it’s deep. :
The stadium crew was down in front. You can see the field mic by the window. We sat in the upper right of the pic. I was able to set up in the corner there and just hunker down. Doug was to my right…
And it looks like we can’t see anything but it was a good view. Two young men in particular, Andrew, a Sophomore at Norcross High, and Mo, a recent Norcross grad, were especially interested in our podcast and all that goes into it. (How we managed to get pics of the room and nobody in it is amazing. It was pretty crazy up there in this GHSA sanctioned event). So I put them on the air for a few minutes before our call. Gotta say, the future looks bright for these young men. It was a blast working with them, and I hope they like the page. 🙂 Seriously, fellas, LIKE THE PAGE!! Here’s our interview:
http://mixlr.com/forsyth-sports-365/showreel/norcross-av-techs-andrew-and-mo/
The first round playoff game between South Forsyth and Norcross at Norcross featured several sub headings, none of which would help the War Eagles put points on the board, but all of which showed the ferocious fight this team has become known for this 2019 season.
Norcross High is one of the Gwinnett County schools that will finally get field turf, the rubberized artificial surface that is the current go-to turf for gridirons across the country. But not yet. The field Friday night was old school messy. Like the old Met in Minneapolis in the Tarkenton days. Or Johnny Unitas’ Baltimore Memorial Stadium surface. Or any old 1960s era outdoor stadium where the tundra was not yet frozen but fresh off a good rain and just sloppy. Both sides had to account for it, but Norcross was clearly more comfortable with it. And there they were, the two injured captains, linemen James Fehr and Allan Reyes, out in the slop giving it their best in what would be their final game for South. Inspiring to say the least.
Then there was the attitude. Both sides came to play, and maybe play a little rough. There was talking and jawing and unnecessary roughness and late hits, so much so that the officials at one point in the third quarter stopped the game and instructed both coaches to huddle their teams and advise them to cut the extracurriculars or they were going to take the football and go home. It was not the kind of behavior either of these veteran coaches, Kevin Maloof, in his 20th season at Norcross, and Jeff Arnette, in his 10th at South, would approve of. But it was the kind of lay it on the line attitude that it takes to win in the playoffs. And it provided for a spirited contest.
Finally, the quarterback situation was just hard to overcome. Senior Joe Slott went down at halftime of the gutsy win at West, leaving the qb duties to Sophomore Kyle Durham, fresh off a broken hand. Durham’s running ability was hoped to be a difference maker, but the aforementioned sloppy conditions held him in check. And it was clear that his ability to grasp and release the football was hampered by the goop and the broken throwing hand he worked hard to recover from.
In the end it was Norcross, with a healthy line up and a home field advantage, who withstood the elements and claimed the hard fought win. Here’s the REPLAY. It’s full of a little bit of everything, and, in spite of the loss, is a great listen as a group of young men leave it all on the field for the old Varsity team. #SouthStrong.
http://mixlr.com/forsyth-sports-365/showreel/norcross-21-south-forsyth-0/