It sure looked like everyone was having a good time

Mike Burke

Spent part of Saturday afternoon watching folks file into Greenway Avenue Stadium for the Homecoming Game. Spent another part of the day listening to the Homecoming Game on the four radio stations that broadcast it; then the rest of the afternoon watching folks file out of the stadium to their cars before watching the delayed version of the game on television.

If you’ve surmised I didn’t attend the Homecoming Game, that would be an accurate conjecture. I was in sick bay hatin’ life. Stuck on the inside looking out. Hearing the roar of the crowd from three blocks away as I followed the game on the four local radio stations.

I can’t say any one of the broadcasts was better than any of the other three, because I liked all four for them. They were all very good, each one bringing something different to the kitchen counter on which my radio was stationed. I must say, however, it amuses me to no end that roughly 21,000 people live in Cumberland and roughly 8,000 of us were in Greenway Avenue Stadium on Saturday, yet we need four radio stations to broadcast the same game.

At least it added variety to the afternoon.

This was the first Allegany-Fort Hill game I’ve missed in its entirety when I’ve been in town on the day of the game, and I learned, despite how often and how much we talk up this day, we also take it for granted. If you don’t believe that, make it a point to miss next year’s game, and be certain to be within walking distance of the stadium while you do miss it. It stinks. I was never so unhappy to see so many other people having such a good time in my life. Trust me, Homecoming in Cumberland is not a day you want to be confined to quarters.

And did you know the mailman in the Fort Hill/Johnson Heights neighborhood delivers his route backwards on Homecoming Saturday? He has to because of all of the traffic entering the stadium neighborhoods. These are the kinds of things you learn when you’re home sick looking out the window, listening to the same game over four radio stations and counting cars on the surrounding streets.

“Actually,” my mailman said, “I was going to ask you if I could park in your driveway while I deliver in these blocks. But I was lucky to get a spot across the street. ... Um, why aren’t you at the game?”

Shake, pal. I’m radioactive.

Anyway, from the sounds of the radio and the view on the tape delay, it seemed to be a typical Fort Hill-Allegany football game in that the first three quarters passed just like that. There was also the typical great defense played by both teams, with the Sentinels getting the best of things with theirs’ in their 17-7 win; as well as big plays, with Dakota Welsh and Sam Walker both scoring on runs of 50-plus yards.

I really liked how Allegany stuck to its game plan to maintain the field position advantage it held for most of the day. John Carpenter is known for his long field goals and kickoffs, of course, but if the Campers had been able to win that game, he may well have been voted Offensive Player of the Game because of his punting. He and the Allegany defense had Fort Hill pinned back nearly to its end zone for most of the game. Fort Hill, in turn, did a good job with its play-calling, throwing downfield for a pair of completions, helping to loosen up the Campers in setting up Welsh’s touchdown.

The Allegany defensive line, though, seemed to surprise a lot of folks, including me, with its outstanding play, while the Fort Hill defense proved to be as good as advertised. If both teams are able to overcome Homecoming hangover this weekend against Boonsboro and Smithsburg respectively, it would appear we’re in store for another slugfest the weekend after next.

That’s the last thing, though, either team needs to be thinking about, because the week after the Homecoming Game tends to be the most difficult week of preparation of the season for both Fort Hill and Allegany, given the amount of concentration and emotion spent during the previous week.

For this reason there are some out there who feel the Homecoming Game should be played in midseason rather than week 10 of the regular season. But to me that would be like telling a 99-year-old man who has smoked his entire life to stop smoking or he won’t be around for much longer. It would also be taking for granted what a great accomplishment it is for a team to earn a trip to the state playoffs.

You tend to realize that you do take things for granted when you’re unable to take part in something you have routinely taken taken part in for much of your life. Don’t think so? Sit out next season’s big game then, and see what it’s like be Homecoming Alone.

Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Write to him at mburke@times-news.com