Getting into Woodward Football
Okay, so I decided I wanted to understand the whole Woodward football thing better. You hear folks talking about it, especially come Friday nights in the fall. It’s just part of the air here, you know? So, I figured, why not actually dive in a bit? Wasn’t about playing, obviously, those days are long gone for me. It was more about getting the feel of it.
First thing I did was check the schedule for the Woodward Boomers. Found it pinned up at the local grocery store, simple as that. Picked a home game happening in a couple of weeks. Seemed like the right place to start.
Leading up to it, I started paying more attention. Listened to the chatter at the coffee shop. Read the little snippets in the local paper – who was injured, who made a big play last week. It wasn’t like deep analysis, just soaking it in. Trying to learn some names, figure out if the team was any good this year.
Then came game night. Drove over to the high school stadium. Man, the lights cut through the dark, you could feel the buzz even from the parking lot. Finding a seat wasn’t too hard, but the stands were filling up fast. Lots of maroon and gold everywhere.
The Game Experience
Honestly, watching it live is way different than seeing highlights. You get the sounds – the pads popping, the crowd roaring on a big run, the band playing during timeouts. It’s a whole sensory thing.
- Caught myself actually getting into it, yelling when we got a first down.
- Started recognizing some of the plays, just basic runs and passes.
- Talked a bit with the guy sitting next to me, asking dumb questions probably, but he was nice about it. Explained some penalty calls.
They didn’t win that night, unfortunately. Lost a close one in the final quarter. But it was still… interesting. You saw the disappointment, sure, but also folks clapping for the effort, already talking about next week’s game.
What I Took Away
So, my little experiment, my ‘practice’ of getting into Woodward football? It wasn’t about wins or losses, not really. It was about seeing that community thing in action. People coming together, supporting the local kids, sharing that experience. It’s simple, kind of old-fashioned maybe, but it felt pretty real.
I went to a couple more games after that. Still don’t know all the complex strategies, probably never will. But I get it now, more than I did before. It’s more than just a game here. It’s a piece of the town. And yeah, I’ll probably be back in the stands next season.