Tuesday, June 02, 2009

It's Warm - Think High School Football!!

In my last post, I mentioned the upcoming Spring football game (Greenwich's annual Red and White Game), hopefully to be broadcast LIVE on WGCH. What I failed to mention was that the 2009 schedule is out!

For the Cardinals, the schedule looks like this (subject to change):
Thu., 9/17 Norwalk Home - Cardinal Stadium 6:00 PM
Fri., 9/25 Stamford Away - Stamford High School 6:00 PM
Sat., 10/3 Harding Away - Hedges Field 1:30 PM
Fri., 10/9 Danbury Home - Cardinal Stadium 7:00 PM
Fri., 10/16 Trumbull Away - McDougall Stadium 7:00 PM
Fri., 10/23 Central Away - Kennedy Stadium 6:00 PM
Fri., 10/30 Westhill Home - Cardinal Stadium 7:00 PM
Fri., 11/6 New Canaan Home - Cardinal Stadium 7:00 PM
Fri., 11/13 St. Joseph Home - Cardinal Stadium 7:00 PM
Thu., 11/26 Staples Away - Staples Stadium 10:00 AM

A few thoughts.
- WEE! Trips to Trumbull and Bridgeport on Friday nights!
- In fact, TWO trips to Bridgeport (one on a Saturday)!
- Going to Harding High means several things: 1) the field, which is the last grass one in the FCIAC to my knowledge. 2) the press box, which I haven't broadcast a game from since 2001. Thus that brings me to 3) the concrete stands, where we will most likely do the game from (weather be damned!), 4) probably not having a roster until right...at...kickoff, and the most positive thing of all 5) public address announcer Ernest Parker, who, if he's willing, will be a guest on the broadcast this year. He'd make a great interview.
- Trumbull. Oh, Trumbull. Such a nice facility. But the press box. Oh, the press box. And the cell phone signal. Only St. Joe's (in the same town) and Ridgefield are worse. And I gather we get to visit St. Joe's next year. Sigh.
- BOYLE STADIUM! I said Boyle...freaking...Stadium! Those bleachers...that press box...the proximity to the field (yeah the field is rough, but I'm just a broadcaster!).
- Kennedy Stadium. House of horrors (2003 Class LL Championship Game). The press box is a mile from the turf, but they do have those delectable chili dogs. Prediction! Jason Intrieri will be at that game. Eric Graf is the AD there, and a great guy, but sometimes the message doesn't reach the right people that we'll be there to call the game and there's always a slightly over-officious soul there to try and throw us out. But these well-meaning folks exist in several places.
- I enjoy going to Staples. Gives me a chance to see Mike Zito and Coach P. Good people. They don't love Greenwich but I get that. Just remember - I'm just a broadcaster.

As for your 2009 broadcast team, it seems pretty clear that our core is set. It will be:
- Yours truly, embarking on my 10th season calling GHS football. My partner in that first year is the same one I'll have in my 10th...
- Sean Kilkelly, who will do color with me once again.
- Nick Fox, who will patrol the sidelines (most likely, though we need to figure out a relay system for road games).
- Rob Crowley, who will shift to the studio and host the festivities from there.

I suspect we will add possibly one more person (I'd love to have two sideline people, but only if we have two sideline mics, and right now we only have one). That person will handle our stats.

With all of these Friday games, that should open me up for things on Saturday! Maybe we'll get some Brunswick games back on, or return to doing some Westchester games (Rye, Harrison, Port Chester, etc). Of course, I could just go watch Ricky Riscica play at Marist instead or coach Todd Cayea and his Carmel Rams.

Coach Cayea's son Trevor plays for the CSA Phillies. Sean Adams plays for the CSA Phillies (and his dad is the coach) Coach Cayea and his wife have been a huge help to me this season, and I look forward to watching the Rams play.

Anyway, we'll get through the spring game, head into summer, and August (practice) will be here before we know it!

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