A night with the Holy Innocents' football team

Bowdon, GA – 5:15 p.m.
“Okay everybody! It’s time for everyone to get quiet and get focused on what we came here to do.”

With these words, Holy Innocents’ head football coach Ryan Livezey sits down at the front of the rented coach, grabs his clipboard, moves his IPod aside, and stares forward into the mid-November, Bowdon, GA sky.

We’re somewhere between Carrollton and Alabama, somewhere between Atlanta and Nowhere, and we left the school at around 1:45 (1:52 to be exact!) and made the trip across I-285 and I-20, headed west, drove through the drizzle and the autumn clouds.

It was that period between daylight and dusk, and the out-of -window surroundings provided us with absolutely nothing to remember. More drizzle, old houses, businesses that probably closed sometime around when Carter was president, fences, fields, and a two-laned blacktop that would take us, hopefully, to Bowdon High School.

Livezey has his football team in tow, his team only in its third year of varsity football competition. Most programs at that stage are supposed to go – say – 4-6 and out, thanks for the memories and let’s have a fun banquet. But not these overachievers.

They went 7-5 last year; made it to the Final 16 – knocked off region champs Fanin County on the road in their opener before bowing to Pepperell.

This year, with a new classification but just as tough a schedule, they made it through regular season at 7-3, 6-2 in the conference and are now heading north. Or west – for this first round game of the Class A playoffs.

The players obey Livezey’s comment. IPods are pulled out of ears, pads are adjusted, there’s a quiet on the bus but it comes with a non-silent buzz – that buzz of the Friday Night Lights and the playoffs. The sound of pads, the locking of helmets, the sounding of whistles – all that – are soon to follow.

It’s November and it’s postseason.

“If you’re playing football in cold weather you’ve got to be doing something right,” Coach Ron Green said earlier. I think it was Green anyway. Regardless, the comment was accurate.

3:00 p.m. --
The team had rented a hotel in Bremen – the name of the place already forgotten – and the Golden Bears turned a meeting room into a chaired-off version of a football field. After destroying a pregame meal – sandwich, fritos and a power bar – the team moved all chairs out of the way, lined the walls with their bodies, and listened while coaches went through the night ahead.

There are nerves kicking in. A trip to the bathroom is like trying to relieve yourself during a rock concert. You must wait. Players line themselves almost outside the door between meetings.

Some coaches, the trainers and manager are outside watching ESPN and channel surfing while the team waits for the 5:15 bus to take them to the stadium.

“Enough of these sports, let’s watch Oprah,” Trainer Lindsay Law says. To Manager Casey Farrell’s agreement, she clicks off the sports’ experts and changes the channel. Coach Bill Railey gets up in disgust, heads outside to talk to Coach Marshall Gaines about the game. Or about something.

“I don’t like that woman,” Railey mutters as he joins Gaines.

Gaines, for the record, is no stranger to postseason. Besides football, he was on the sideline during the baseball team’s 2007 state title. He’s had his share of pregame meals, tape jobs, chalk talk, pep talk, you name it.

Coaches pace in and out of the meeting room. Each coach delivers his spiel. Father John Porter, along for good luck as well as a good spiritual connection, delivers a speech and a prayer. Father Porter’s energy is felt in the room; his spirit kindles so perfectly with this group of eager, nervous Bears.

“I’m saying it in the present tense,” Porter says. “I AM enjoying this football season because it’s not going to end tonight. Do this as a team. It’s not going to end tonight.”

The players hear, yell, enjoy.

Even Michael Altmeter looks up from his USA Today crossword puzzle and gives a yell.

And now, after a trip from school that included sleep and I-Pod listening, the Bears have now heeded Livezey’s advice and are quiet, staring out the window into nothing, at these rural surroundings that give them nothing else TO think about but the task ahead.

The bus pulls into the school at just after 5:20. The lights aren’t on yet, bleachers are virtually empty. A group of Bowdon Red Devils pace the sloped field at the opposite end and Bowdon parents set up the Admission table.

It’s the pre-game before the pre-game. The walk through. The time to catch the energy and the lay of the land. You don’t coach this, you just go through it. Players glance at the field while walking into the old fieldhouse. Just a glance, they know. Nothing much left to say, no more chalk talk needed thank you very much.

They go inside; several coaches lead them in and close the door.

7:30 p.m. Game time ---
Things become hazy come show time, as hazy as the fog that lifts across the field, obviously clouding the P.A. announcer’s vision. It’s almost funny, but you have to feel for the guy.

This much I did catch…

The Bears won the toss and elected to defer. Both teams are nervous early – a couple of illegal procedure penalties, some missed assignments. Both are three-and-out with the punters getting some early work. John McKay, filling in for the injured Jack Farrell, does a good job of pinning the Red Devils back early.

Regardless, the Bears have to dodge bullets in the first half – three to be exact.

Bullet #1 happens when the Devils drive inside the Bears 30, mostly behind the running of their athletic back (#2, don’t know his name). He twists, turns and eludes some Bear defenders and has his home team knocking on the door.

But on 3rd-and-long, Bear cornerback Peter Allen slips in front of a Red Devil receiver and intercepts a pass, thwarting the first Bowdon drive of the night.

Momentum has shifted for the team being, and the Bear offense gets a couple of first downs on their turn with the ball.

Then comes Bullet #2. Again, the Red Devils are driving. Some more good runs, some timely gains, and Bowdon has the ball 1st-and-goal at the Bear two-yard line.

This is where big teams come up big, however, and the Bears hold them outside the goal three straight plays. After a procedure penalty on the Devils, Bowdon tries a chip shot field goal.

They miss. It’s still 0-0 and why to go Defense!

Bullet #3. Last play of the half. McKay is back near his own goal to punt. After a low snap, McKay scoops it up quickly and punts. It’s blocked and the ball rolls free as the time on the clock reads 0:00. The Bears recover. It’s halftime. It’s still scoreless.

What can you say? Good teams also need good luck at times. We just got some. Perhaps there is something to Father John’s connection. He smiles on the sideline, pats his belly, lifts his fist in the air.

The trainers go off to re-fill the water coolers.

And… the scary moment of the night for the Bears. Rawson Allen, after delivering a bone-crunching tackle, has an injury to his chest area. He’s on the sideline coughing up blood. He is taken away by ambulance…our prayers go with him.

Second half…
The Bears use the good fortune and the breaks of the opening two frames and turn it into momentum the last 24 minutes. The offense comes out inspired.

“They looked like they wanted to be out there,” Livezey would say after the game. “Whether they gained 8 yards or 2 yards, they jumped back up and hustled back to the huddle. The bottom line was passion. They played with passion!”

HIES takes the opening kickoff and shoves it down the Red Devils’ throats. After some timely and excellent runs from running back Jordan Garrett and quarterback Will Allen, the Bears are first-and-goal on the two.

After an option loses two yards, tailback Wills Aitkens breaks the ice. He takes an Allen hand-off and scampers in off left tackle for a four-yard score. The extra point is good.

The Bears, visitors to this fogy land, are up 7-0 with half of the third quarter left.

The defense picks up the momentum – hold Bowdon for another three-and-out. The Bears get the ball back around midfield, pumped up, adrenaline times 12, ready for anything.

On the 26-yard line, Aitkens takes a pitch from Allen and scampers off-tackle. Cutting right and eluding a tackle, the junior takes it to the house for another score. The Bears miss the PAT, but they’re up 13-0 and not taking any crap from anybody.

It ends that way – Bears 13, Bowdon 0. The players gather around the coaches.

9:48 p.m.
“You guys played well, particularly in the second half,” Livezey says. “Now there’s a certain team in Norcross we have to get ready for.”

The players erupt. Just the thought of that “W” word from back home can gear a Bear riled up regardless of the sport.

Wesleyan, you see, has already drubbed Warren County 42-19 tonight in the rain at home. It’s the same Wesleyan team the Bears edged 7-6 back on Week 3, the same Wesleyan team the Bears beat 3-0 last year, eliminating them from post season.

“They’re probably hoping that we won tonight,” Livezey says. “They’re going to be fired up for us.”

The players yell, all hormones and adrenaline, ready for anything. They are released while the Bear spectators, straight off of the Spirit Bus, storm the field. They are led by volleyball star Meg Yanda and tennis stars Jessica and Julia Bailey. Cross country ace Wood Alter and baseball coach Dylan Deal. Volleyball assistant Quinton Walker and parent Teresa McMillan. Graduate parents – Brooke Hawkins, cheerleaders, well-wishers.

It’s a Bear-fest on the Bowdon field and the Bears walk back to the bus slowly to savor the moment. Snacks await them on the bus, something they will jump on like a fumble on a Friday night. Then a bus ride.

A not so quiet ride this time.

No, it’s still football season, you see. It’s the Final 16, just like last year. It’s against rivals Wesleyan.
“They don’t like us,” Livezey says before putting in his IPod on the bus home.

Still, he smiles and throws down his clipboard, the wisdom of no escape if you will. Ron Green grins while he throws snacks across the back of the bus. Father Porter goes to sleep, his job well done. The equipment bus, driven by Forrest Stillwell, follows the coach back to I-20, back to I-285, back through the Atlanta rain.

Home before midnight. Adrenaline still up - Friday night lights still shining in Bear brains. Still, there’s a price to pay for winning – it’s business as usual.

“Films at 2 p.m. Sunday, weight lifting after that, same routine as last week,” Livezey tells his players. “We’ll be under the lights practicing at Riverwood all week."

That’s right folks, you don’t wish for success – you earn it. The Bears yell one last time, clean up their trash, exit the bus one at a time, head off into what’s left of the Friday night.
Drive safely…

Can’t wait till next Friday.
Go Bears!