When the Rain Comes

 

Screenshot from tonight's broadcast

Though it was game day -- no, GAME DAY! -- I was sort of dreading it.

Not because I wasn't looking forward to calling Brunswick and Trinity-Pawling but because of the weather.

The remnants of Hurricane Nicole roared through the region tonight saturating Friday afternoon and night.

That meant -- as predicted -- we'd be driving to the game in it and calling the game in it.

Now, I had heard that Trinity-Pawling School had opened their booth up to Chris Erway and me -- "The Villans," as we call ourselves when we're not "The A-Team."

Still, despite that assurance that we were welcome in the booth, the fear is always that someone didn't get that message and tells us we can't be in there.

The idea of standing on the roof or in the stands wasn't appealing. Trinity-Pawling was completely true to their word and we were inside their booth.

Where the hatch to the roof was left open for the entire game. At one point, Chris was standing in a puddle of rainwater. It did subside eventually.

It was hardly a perfect setup but nothing was going to be.

We went to the field before the game to chat with Wick head coach Wayne McGillicuddy. Before he walked over, as rain poured down on us, I had a moment of levity.

"So you want to be a sports broadcaster," I said.

Chris laughed.

That laughter -- the ability to take things seriously but still stay loose -- is what keeps us going. We'd snap otherwise.

I wasn't relishing driving up Interstate 684 and getting thrashed about in driving rain. Which we did.

I wasn't relishing the drive back home either. Which wasn't as bad.

I was relishing a hopefully good broadcast -- our final call of the regular season for Brunswick football. The Bruins held up their end of the bargain, with excellent defense and just enough on offense to pitch a 24-0 shutout.

The day -- and night -- went off better than I had feared.

The Bruins now await a date with a bowl game next weekend. We'll find out where we're heading hopefully by the end of Sunday.

The rain subsided enough that I was able to relax and not hold the steering wheel as tightly.

Of course, we did plenty of laughter, making up songs, and just talking.

Even then, we hit a moment of silence. Chris was looking at his home and I just focused on the road.

This would make a good buddy movie, I thought. I haven't had to do so in some time, but he and I having to travel overnight for a game -- like we did for wrestling in Atlantic City -- would be pretty comical.

In the end, I was glad Brunswick went on and played at Trinity-Pawling tonight. It allowed us to go to the Hudson Valley (always a joy for me) but it also made football be played the way it should be. The game was played under less-than-ideal conditions. Many in Connecticut moved their games to last night or tomorrow. 

The Bruins and Pride stuck to the schedule and played.

Oh, sure, I was a little jealous of Kevin Halpenny, whose Port Jervis playoff game was at 10 this morning. I love those early start times that allow for the day to continue.

Brunswick and Trinity-Pawling actually pushed the start time back an hour -- from 6 to 7 -- but they still played tonight.

And now I'm home. Game one of five this weekend is done.

I have my rosters for Sunday's soccer-a-rama so I don't even have stories about that.

Onto Stamford tomorrow for Greenwich against their neighbors, the Black Knights.