"it's first and ten with 20 yards to go"

I went to my first high school football game in, oh, say, 13 years tonight. Unfortunately, the NP Bulldogs (or 'Dawgs, as they're more commonly called) spent a lot of their time with 20 yards to go, usually as a result of "illegal procedures" (a fine term that leaves much to the imagination). The Dawgs are now 4-4, while the Kearney Bearcats are now 8-0. I asked the friendly folks (unbelievably friendly--by the end, Mr. Folks asked me if I had gotten to know people in NP, and I made some vague reply, and he then asked if I had someone to call if my car wouldn't start, just to make sure I did) sitting in front of me if they knew what a bearcat was (I didn't). At first they were both like, yeah, it's like a bobcat--but then I asked if they had ever heard of one outside the context of Kearney sports, and both admitted not. But here it is, people, the fearsome bearcat:


You'd think this lil' beastie could hardly stand up to a 'Dawg. For comparison, here is a bulldog:



Well, not so, friends, not so. Turns out, that bearcat, she's a vicious fighter that can throw amazing passes, catch them, and tackle anything. Hats off to the Fightin' Bearcats' fightin' ways. (For good times, search google images for bulldog. In the photographs, the bulldogs all look pained, bemused, or sleepy. In the drawings, they all wear spiky collars and seem to be about to rip something to shreds.)

It was the last home game of the season, so I guess that's it for the Friday night lights. I might try to catch a volleyball game or a basketball game later in the season. Mr. and Mrs. Folks were fake-insulted when I innocently asked if NP had a basketball team (it wasn't mentioned on the program, which talked about lots of other teams). Anyway, it does. Go 'Dawgs.

. . .