NFA head coach Bill Bianco (right) greets Monroe-Woodbury head coach Pat D'Aliso (left) after their Class AA football game in Central Valley, NY on Friday, October 14, 2011. NFA defeated Monroe-Woodbury 7 - 0 to end Monroe-Woodbury's 63 - game winning streak against Section 9 teams. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Rain. Mud. Spit and Blood... Friday night high school football at the playoff tournament level; although it may be a little early yet to be thinking that way just beyond the midway point of the season. Sounds sort of a like a John Madden 
promo or something. I can almost hear Madden's voice echoing in my ear: "Now you see this kid here, Mikal Myers of NFA (at right). He's got the mud thing going all over his body, a two-way lineman who doesn't wear any protective padding on his arms - now HE'S a football player...!" Ever since I've been at this newspaper, there's been the mystique of Monroe-Woodbury football. (Similar to the plateau and rare air that NFA basketball has lived on for years...) I've been privileged to have photographed some of the best HS football competition in my career up here in the Hudson Valley, and a lot of it has had to do with covering M-W football the last 5 years. Last night was challenging and at times just down right tough. An intermittent rain kept things at a point just below miserable, not to mention my drop-dead deadline, when I needed to have images shipped to the paper. Nerve racking. Nail biting. But beyond the headaches and everyday stresses, it was still fun. And that's what counts probably more than anything...*Here's the slideshow from the very muddy game... ~cg.
These are great photos, as are the ones in today's paper. What a great day for Newburgh, the players, and coaches. The photos and the story behind it remind me of the "Mud Bowl" from Season One of Friday Night Lights. Good thing the game ended before your deadline!
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