woy1509
Star
- Jul 24, 2008
- 20,308
- 3,655
Round Two
“It’s WSKE coming to you live from Ethan Woy Stadium on the campus of Everett High School for tonight’s ICC Championship Game between the eight-and-one Tyrone Golden Eagles and the nine-and-oh Everett Warriors! It’s been 19 years since the Warriors have won an Inter County Conference title, but tonight they have the opportunity to end that drought on their home field.”
“That they do, Matt. The Warriors won their only ICC crown in 2008 when the title was just given to the team with the best record in conference. Since the ICC moved to a championship game format in 2012, Everett has only appeared in two of the title games.”
“On the other hand Lance, Tyrone has won two ICC championships and made three more title games in seven years since coming over from the Mountain League. The Golden Eagles have been a dominant force all season with their late August one-point defeat against this Everett team being their only blemish.”
“It’s sure to be another barn-burner as we’re just moments away from the opening kickoff! Don’t go away, this is high school football on WSKE.”
…
“How many snow games did we have in our sophomore and junior years?”
Sean Joseph looked up from the bench to see Mike wiping a snowflake from his visor. “You’re just worried you won’t get your yardage.”
“Can you blame me?” the receiver smirked. “There’s four Pac-14 scouts in the house tonight.”
The quarterback chuckled as grabbed a hand-warmer from the trainer’s box. “Who said they were here for you?”
“Touchdown Golden Eagles. Justin Engel to Lenny Prince.”
Mike laughed and buckled up his chinstrap. “Whoever they’re here for, let’s give them a show. I bet their asses are freezing up there.”
…
“And here comes Sean Joseph Woy and the Warrior offense following Tyrone’s opening touchdown. I feel like we say this every week Matt, but is there anything we can’t say about this guy? The number three prospect in the land has had one of the best seasons in PIAA history with 3,775 yards of total offense, 29 passing touchdowns, and 17 rushing touchdowns. No one has been able to slow him down this season, but this might be the best opportunity to do so – just because of the snow covering the field below.”
…
“Green 18, green 18, hike!”
”…Woy avoids the rush and fires a rocket to Bryson Parham along the sidelines for a first down. Looks like the weather hasn’t slowed down the Everett signal-caller yet as he’s drove the Warriors into the red zone.”
…
“Look at that pocket presence! Kid somehow saw the rush coming from his blind side and stepped back in time.”
One of the four Pac-14 scouts couldn’t help but shake his head at the two astonished Colorado graduate assistants. “Ah, I remember my first time seeing Woy in person.”
“Bet this is the first time you scouted someone in this weather too,” one of the grad assistants fired back, chuckling at the shivering from his rival.
…
“Woy will be in the gun for second and 10 here, ball on the Tyrone 11. Clean snap as the blitz is coming. Woy quickly gets the ball out and hits Kennedy over the middle. Kennedy sidesteps a tackler and will walk into the end zone for a touchdown! Looks like round two will be another classic as Everett responds with a score of their own!”
…
That would be all the scoring for the first quarter as the conditions made it difficult for the offenses. Both units generated enough production to make another trip to paydirt in the second frame, setting the score at 14 all after one half of play.
…
“…and in local scores, Penn State holds a 24-20 lead over Michigan in the third quarter, Pitt trails Connecticut by the score of 17-14 at halftime, and Matt’s alma mater Temple will nab a rare win tonight over North Dakota State. 34 to 10 there in the City of Brotherly Love with three minutes left.”
“Do we have to pick on my Owls every broadcast? But since we’re on the discussion on our alma maters, how about yours announcing today that they plan on making the move up to Division II? Pretty incredible how they’ve moved through the ranks so quickly.”
“Allegany College was a community college when I was there 35 years ago. I still can’t believe they have an athletic program, let alone one that continues to climb the ladder.”
…
“Midway through the third quarter in the ICC Championship Game and it’s Tyrone 17, Everett 14. A little bit of a low scoring affair here from Ethan Woy Stadium, but the Warriors knocking on the door again.”
…
“14 points,” Sean Joseph muttered under his breath after he broke the huddle. “25 minutes into this game and we’ve only scored twice.”
The quarterback was frustrated with the lack of offensive output and refused to blame it on the conditions or Tyrone’s familiarity with the Warriors. He refused to believe that any team could hold him in check like this and knew that the Golden Eagle offense couldn’t be held down for much longer either.
…
“…Woy drops back and fires a bullet to his right – it’s caught! Kennedy snags it in front of Lawrence Hart and Everett takes its first lead of the night!”
…
Ethan gave his offense some encouragement as they jogged to the sidelines with a 21-17 lead. He stopped and pulled his son and Mike aside when they crossed his path, relaying his assumption about how this game was about to swing.
“Stay warm and loose, you two. Something tells me you’ll be right back out there in a minute.”
…
Roosevelt Crenshaw hated wearing long sleeves.
When a winter storm hit the area at the beginning of the month, Roosevelt ditched the extra layer at Mount Union while his teammates welcomed the protection from the cold. He felt the sleeves restricted his movement and didn’t allow him to use his extraordinary flexibility to the fullest.
But here he was donning them because the coaching staff told him to.
As he watched Sean Joseph Woy toss his second touchdown pass of the game, he remembered a time where his favorite player snagged nine passes and three touchdowns in the midst of a snowstorm. He, too, didn’t wear long sleeves very often, but he had to when the temperature dipped into the single digits.
Ethan Woy took over in 2022 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Roosevelt Crenshaw was about to do the same against Woy’s Warriors.
…
“After a slow first half for Roosevelt Crenshaw, he’s come back with three catches on this drive alone. Tyrone has moved the ball quickly down the field and sits on the Everett 12-yard-line with a chance to take the lead.”
“Engel drops back and just lofts it up into the end zone…and it’ll be a touchdown! Roosevelt Crenshaw didn’t give the Everett secondary a chance there, plucking it right out of the air to give the lead back to Tyrone!”
…
“He’s fucking ridiculous,” Sean Joseph said as he rifled off one last warm-up throw to Mike. “It’s like watching Stephen Williams at 16.”
The receiver gritted his teeth at the comparison to the Los Angeles Raiders wideout. “You don’t have to fawn over him, Sean J.”
“Am I not allowed to look at other receivers, dear?” the quarterback cracked, wrapping his arm around Mike before the receiver pushed him aside. “C’mon man, you know that I know you’re better than him. How about you prove it on this drive?”
Mike quietly nodded before jogging out to the huddle. He could accept being the second best player at Everett, but he couldn’t accept being the second best receiver on the field tonight.
…
“After a 33 yard kickoff return by Jerome Jones, the Warriors will start from their own 40-yard-line, trailing 24-21.”
“Seems like this game has become a battle between the two star receivers, Roosevelt Crenshaw of Tyrone and Mike Kennedy of Everett. Crenshaw carried the Golden Eagles down the field last drive, while Kennedy has five catches and two of the three Warrior touchdowns. There’s a reason why Kennedy is a consensus four-star prospect and Crenshaw is a top five recruit in the class of 2029. Both of these guys will be playing at BCS schools after graduation.”
“We’re definitely privileged to be able to watch them in their high school careers. Here we go, first and ten for the Warriors. Woy takes the snap and fires a quick screen to Kennedy. Kennedy makes the first man miss and has blockers out in front of him! The senior wideout sidesteps another tackler and will be off to the races! Touchdown Everett on Mike Kennedy’s third trip to paydirt tonight!”
…
“…Engel avoids the rush and fires a bullet over the middle…it’s juggled, but caught by Crenshaw for another Tyrone touchdown! The Golden Eagles end the quarter with Engel’s fourth touchdown toss of the game!”
…
After touchdowns on four consecutive drives, the defenses reappeared and shut down the explosive offensive units. With six minutes remaining, Everett regained possession at its 23-yard-line, still trailing 31-28.
…
“…Woy drops back and looks to his left. Kennedy is blanketed, but Woy escapes and runs out-of-bounds after a gain of four yards. It’ll be third and two from the Tyrone 19.”
…
“Quit fucking doubling me,” a frustrated Mike yelled on his way back to the huddle.
Sean Joseph shook his head at his friend’s bitching, but the rest of his receiving corps weren’t picking up the slack. He looked over to the sideline for the next play and relayed it to his teammates, hoping that Bryson, Jerome, or Thomas could get open.
“Red 15, red 15, set, hut, hike!”
The pocket collapsed quickly, but Sean Joseph had enough burst to get to the outside. Bryson called for the ball along the sideline and seemed to find enough space to make a catch, but the Tyrone defensive back broke up the pass at the last second.
“Woy’s pass intended for Bryson Parham is incomplete. Fourth down.”
Sean Joseph angrily unsnapped his chin strap and saw his dad in a debate with himself whether to send the field goal unit out there or not. After a few seconds deliberation, he raised two fists in the air; a signal that said to go for it, and then go into the hurry-up if they converted.
The quarterback quickly lined up his offense and again looked to the sidelines for the play call. Three fingers let Sean Joseph know that Ethan wanted a hand-off to John, as his dad trusted his offensive line to get the job done.
…
“Woy quick snaps it and turns to hand it off to Watson. There’s a Golden Eagle in the backfield, but Watson sidesteps him and will get just enough for the first down before being wrestled to the turf!”
“Don’t even need to say how big that first down was. I agree with Coach Woy’s call as well – it’s tough to trust a kicker in these conditions.”
“And now they’re in the hurry-up as Woy is back to the line already. Clean snap as he drops back…looks to his right and fires in that direction…it’s caught by Parham! Bryson Parham has another first down for the Warriors as they’re now down to the three-yard-line!”
…
John scored on the next play, giving Everett back the lead with three minutes left.
Sean Joseph watched as Tyrone responded with a three long passes to move the ball into the red zone. As the Golden Eagles called a timeout, he got up from one knee and started warming up, thinking that his heroics would be needed once again. However, he was in for a nice surprise when he heard the roar of the crowd signal that Tyrone turned it over.
…
“What a turn of events! Engel and Simon weren’t on the same page there, and the sophomore defensive end Lavelle Bowman pounced on the missed hand-off!”
“Tyrone still has two timeouts left, so look for them to sell out against the run in hopes of getting the ball back.”
…
“Get over here! Get over here!” Ethan yelled at his offense as he pulled out the marker from his clipboard.
Duane Felton was the first to speak up. “So what’s the plan, Coach? They’re going to stack the box and sell out on Sean Joseph and John.”
The head coach smirked. “Which is exactly why we’re going to throw the ball. Let’s end this now.”
…
“Everett will look to run some clock here as they line up in the I, two receivers to Woy’s left. Here’s the snap…”
…
Mike wrestled with Lawrence Hart’s bump and run coverage, but found enough room to begin his route. Bryson was a few yards to his left and stayed with him stride for stride, then planted his right foot and broke towards the sideline.
…
“…and they’re going to pass! Woy has some pressure coming from his right side, but he steps up to avoid it…”
…
Bryson carried over towards his left as Mike planted his left foot and spun towards the quarterback. Sean Joseph pump-faked to his left and lofted a pass as he got hit, hoping that this assumption was the correct one.
…
“…and he’ll go deep where he has Bryson Parham wide open down the sideline! Parham hauls it in and has no one in front of him! He’s to the 50, the 40, 30, the 20, 10…touchdown Everett! That might be the back-breaker folks! What a confident play call by Ethan Woy and an equally confident throw from his son!”
“Don’t forget to give Parham some credit there too, Matt. Not many high school receivers can run an out-and-up that efficiently.”
…
“Elliot Clark, Altoona Mirror. Ethan, it’s been 19 years since Everett has won an ICC championship in football. As we all know, you were a part of the last team that won an ICC title here. Which one of these is more satisfying?”
The exhausted head coach managed enough energy to crack a smile. “Definitely this one. We didn’t have a championship game in 2008, remember?”
The group of reporters chuckled before Ethan could continue his answer. “But seriously, I’d choose this one. This conference has gotten so much better since I played and this group of kids has been an absolute joy to coach. Tyrone’s a very talented and well-coached team, and coming out victorious against them twice this season should speak upon how difficult it is to do this.”
“Henry Jacobsen, Bedford Gazette. Ethan, after missing out on a first-round bye in last season’s District 5 playoffs, how nice will it be to have homefield advantage this time around?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’ll be nice to have the week off, but we’re going to run into a tough team regardless if we’re the one seed or the five seed. Windber ran through the West-PAC and Conemaugh Township has been a constant in the D5 playoffs for years now. And I haven’t even mentioned Northern Bedford or Hyndman yet. All of them could win District 5-AA, but admittedly it is an advantage to not have to travel for any games. We’ve put in the work for that opportunity and we’re thankful for that opportunity.”
“Any more questions for Coach Woy?”
The Everett head man was about to stand up and leave, but the ICC’s PR official pointed out someone in the back.
“Tim Moore, Bedford County Free Press. Ethan, would you say that the announcement of your NCAA sanctions actually helped you this week? Instead of worrying about coaching in college, you can block out those distractions and focus on the team you have.”
“Tonight is about the boys in that lockerroom and this in front of me,” Ethan snapped, wrapping his arm around the ICC Championship trophy. “It’s not about college or any of that stuff. It was never a distraction because I wasn’t thinking of it. I have the best damn job in the world coaching these boys.”
“So if you have the best job in the world, then why were you actively looking for a new one?”
Ethan didn’t give the reporter even a slight glance as he grabbed the trophy and shook the PR guy’s hand before walking back to the office. He knew that questions about the sanctions would only increase over the coming weeks, and that he’d have to eventually give some answers – whether they were true or not.
“It’s WSKE coming to you live from Ethan Woy Stadium on the campus of Everett High School for tonight’s ICC Championship Game between the eight-and-one Tyrone Golden Eagles and the nine-and-oh Everett Warriors! It’s been 19 years since the Warriors have won an Inter County Conference title, but tonight they have the opportunity to end that drought on their home field.”
“That they do, Matt. The Warriors won their only ICC crown in 2008 when the title was just given to the team with the best record in conference. Since the ICC moved to a championship game format in 2012, Everett has only appeared in two of the title games.”
“On the other hand Lance, Tyrone has won two ICC championships and made three more title games in seven years since coming over from the Mountain League. The Golden Eagles have been a dominant force all season with their late August one-point defeat against this Everett team being their only blemish.”
“It’s sure to be another barn-burner as we’re just moments away from the opening kickoff! Don’t go away, this is high school football on WSKE.”
…
“How many snow games did we have in our sophomore and junior years?”
Sean Joseph looked up from the bench to see Mike wiping a snowflake from his visor. “You’re just worried you won’t get your yardage.”
“Can you blame me?” the receiver smirked. “There’s four Pac-14 scouts in the house tonight.”
The quarterback chuckled as grabbed a hand-warmer from the trainer’s box. “Who said they were here for you?”
“Touchdown Golden Eagles. Justin Engel to Lenny Prince.”
Mike laughed and buckled up his chinstrap. “Whoever they’re here for, let’s give them a show. I bet their asses are freezing up there.”
…
“And here comes Sean Joseph Woy and the Warrior offense following Tyrone’s opening touchdown. I feel like we say this every week Matt, but is there anything we can’t say about this guy? The number three prospect in the land has had one of the best seasons in PIAA history with 3,775 yards of total offense, 29 passing touchdowns, and 17 rushing touchdowns. No one has been able to slow him down this season, but this might be the best opportunity to do so – just because of the snow covering the field below.”
…
“Green 18, green 18, hike!”
”…Woy avoids the rush and fires a rocket to Bryson Parham along the sidelines for a first down. Looks like the weather hasn’t slowed down the Everett signal-caller yet as he’s drove the Warriors into the red zone.”
…
“Look at that pocket presence! Kid somehow saw the rush coming from his blind side and stepped back in time.”
One of the four Pac-14 scouts couldn’t help but shake his head at the two astonished Colorado graduate assistants. “Ah, I remember my first time seeing Woy in person.”
“Bet this is the first time you scouted someone in this weather too,” one of the grad assistants fired back, chuckling at the shivering from his rival.
…
“Woy will be in the gun for second and 10 here, ball on the Tyrone 11. Clean snap as the blitz is coming. Woy quickly gets the ball out and hits Kennedy over the middle. Kennedy sidesteps a tackler and will walk into the end zone for a touchdown! Looks like round two will be another classic as Everett responds with a score of their own!”
…
That would be all the scoring for the first quarter as the conditions made it difficult for the offenses. Both units generated enough production to make another trip to paydirt in the second frame, setting the score at 14 all after one half of play.
…
“…and in local scores, Penn State holds a 24-20 lead over Michigan in the third quarter, Pitt trails Connecticut by the score of 17-14 at halftime, and Matt’s alma mater Temple will nab a rare win tonight over North Dakota State. 34 to 10 there in the City of Brotherly Love with three minutes left.”
“Do we have to pick on my Owls every broadcast? But since we’re on the discussion on our alma maters, how about yours announcing today that they plan on making the move up to Division II? Pretty incredible how they’ve moved through the ranks so quickly.”
“Allegany College was a community college when I was there 35 years ago. I still can’t believe they have an athletic program, let alone one that continues to climb the ladder.”
…
“Midway through the third quarter in the ICC Championship Game and it’s Tyrone 17, Everett 14. A little bit of a low scoring affair here from Ethan Woy Stadium, but the Warriors knocking on the door again.”
…
“14 points,” Sean Joseph muttered under his breath after he broke the huddle. “25 minutes into this game and we’ve only scored twice.”
The quarterback was frustrated with the lack of offensive output and refused to blame it on the conditions or Tyrone’s familiarity with the Warriors. He refused to believe that any team could hold him in check like this and knew that the Golden Eagle offense couldn’t be held down for much longer either.
…
“…Woy drops back and fires a bullet to his right – it’s caught! Kennedy snags it in front of Lawrence Hart and Everett takes its first lead of the night!”
…
Ethan gave his offense some encouragement as they jogged to the sidelines with a 21-17 lead. He stopped and pulled his son and Mike aside when they crossed his path, relaying his assumption about how this game was about to swing.
“Stay warm and loose, you two. Something tells me you’ll be right back out there in a minute.”
…
Roosevelt Crenshaw hated wearing long sleeves.
When a winter storm hit the area at the beginning of the month, Roosevelt ditched the extra layer at Mount Union while his teammates welcomed the protection from the cold. He felt the sleeves restricted his movement and didn’t allow him to use his extraordinary flexibility to the fullest.
But here he was donning them because the coaching staff told him to.
As he watched Sean Joseph Woy toss his second touchdown pass of the game, he remembered a time where his favorite player snagged nine passes and three touchdowns in the midst of a snowstorm. He, too, didn’t wear long sleeves very often, but he had to when the temperature dipped into the single digits.
Ethan Woy took over in 2022 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Roosevelt Crenshaw was about to do the same against Woy’s Warriors.
…
“After a slow first half for Roosevelt Crenshaw, he’s come back with three catches on this drive alone. Tyrone has moved the ball quickly down the field and sits on the Everett 12-yard-line with a chance to take the lead.”
“Engel drops back and just lofts it up into the end zone…and it’ll be a touchdown! Roosevelt Crenshaw didn’t give the Everett secondary a chance there, plucking it right out of the air to give the lead back to Tyrone!”
…
“He’s fucking ridiculous,” Sean Joseph said as he rifled off one last warm-up throw to Mike. “It’s like watching Stephen Williams at 16.”
The receiver gritted his teeth at the comparison to the Los Angeles Raiders wideout. “You don’t have to fawn over him, Sean J.”
“Am I not allowed to look at other receivers, dear?” the quarterback cracked, wrapping his arm around Mike before the receiver pushed him aside. “C’mon man, you know that I know you’re better than him. How about you prove it on this drive?”
Mike quietly nodded before jogging out to the huddle. He could accept being the second best player at Everett, but he couldn’t accept being the second best receiver on the field tonight.
…
“After a 33 yard kickoff return by Jerome Jones, the Warriors will start from their own 40-yard-line, trailing 24-21.”
“Seems like this game has become a battle between the two star receivers, Roosevelt Crenshaw of Tyrone and Mike Kennedy of Everett. Crenshaw carried the Golden Eagles down the field last drive, while Kennedy has five catches and two of the three Warrior touchdowns. There’s a reason why Kennedy is a consensus four-star prospect and Crenshaw is a top five recruit in the class of 2029. Both of these guys will be playing at BCS schools after graduation.”
“We’re definitely privileged to be able to watch them in their high school careers. Here we go, first and ten for the Warriors. Woy takes the snap and fires a quick screen to Kennedy. Kennedy makes the first man miss and has blockers out in front of him! The senior wideout sidesteps another tackler and will be off to the races! Touchdown Everett on Mike Kennedy’s third trip to paydirt tonight!”
…
“…Engel avoids the rush and fires a bullet over the middle…it’s juggled, but caught by Crenshaw for another Tyrone touchdown! The Golden Eagles end the quarter with Engel’s fourth touchdown toss of the game!”
…
After touchdowns on four consecutive drives, the defenses reappeared and shut down the explosive offensive units. With six minutes remaining, Everett regained possession at its 23-yard-line, still trailing 31-28.
…
“…Woy drops back and looks to his left. Kennedy is blanketed, but Woy escapes and runs out-of-bounds after a gain of four yards. It’ll be third and two from the Tyrone 19.”
…
“Quit fucking doubling me,” a frustrated Mike yelled on his way back to the huddle.
Sean Joseph shook his head at his friend’s bitching, but the rest of his receiving corps weren’t picking up the slack. He looked over to the sideline for the next play and relayed it to his teammates, hoping that Bryson, Jerome, or Thomas could get open.
“Red 15, red 15, set, hut, hike!”
The pocket collapsed quickly, but Sean Joseph had enough burst to get to the outside. Bryson called for the ball along the sideline and seemed to find enough space to make a catch, but the Tyrone defensive back broke up the pass at the last second.
“Woy’s pass intended for Bryson Parham is incomplete. Fourth down.”
Sean Joseph angrily unsnapped his chin strap and saw his dad in a debate with himself whether to send the field goal unit out there or not. After a few seconds deliberation, he raised two fists in the air; a signal that said to go for it, and then go into the hurry-up if they converted.
The quarterback quickly lined up his offense and again looked to the sidelines for the play call. Three fingers let Sean Joseph know that Ethan wanted a hand-off to John, as his dad trusted his offensive line to get the job done.
…
“Woy quick snaps it and turns to hand it off to Watson. There’s a Golden Eagle in the backfield, but Watson sidesteps him and will get just enough for the first down before being wrestled to the turf!”
“Don’t even need to say how big that first down was. I agree with Coach Woy’s call as well – it’s tough to trust a kicker in these conditions.”
“And now they’re in the hurry-up as Woy is back to the line already. Clean snap as he drops back…looks to his right and fires in that direction…it’s caught by Parham! Bryson Parham has another first down for the Warriors as they’re now down to the three-yard-line!”
…
John scored on the next play, giving Everett back the lead with three minutes left.
Sean Joseph watched as Tyrone responded with a three long passes to move the ball into the red zone. As the Golden Eagles called a timeout, he got up from one knee and started warming up, thinking that his heroics would be needed once again. However, he was in for a nice surprise when he heard the roar of the crowd signal that Tyrone turned it over.
…
“What a turn of events! Engel and Simon weren’t on the same page there, and the sophomore defensive end Lavelle Bowman pounced on the missed hand-off!”
“Tyrone still has two timeouts left, so look for them to sell out against the run in hopes of getting the ball back.”
…
“Get over here! Get over here!” Ethan yelled at his offense as he pulled out the marker from his clipboard.
Duane Felton was the first to speak up. “So what’s the plan, Coach? They’re going to stack the box and sell out on Sean Joseph and John.”
The head coach smirked. “Which is exactly why we’re going to throw the ball. Let’s end this now.”
…
“Everett will look to run some clock here as they line up in the I, two receivers to Woy’s left. Here’s the snap…”
…
Mike wrestled with Lawrence Hart’s bump and run coverage, but found enough room to begin his route. Bryson was a few yards to his left and stayed with him stride for stride, then planted his right foot and broke towards the sideline.
…
“…and they’re going to pass! Woy has some pressure coming from his right side, but he steps up to avoid it…”
…
Bryson carried over towards his left as Mike planted his left foot and spun towards the quarterback. Sean Joseph pump-faked to his left and lofted a pass as he got hit, hoping that this assumption was the correct one.
…
“…and he’ll go deep where he has Bryson Parham wide open down the sideline! Parham hauls it in and has no one in front of him! He’s to the 50, the 40, 30, the 20, 10…touchdown Everett! That might be the back-breaker folks! What a confident play call by Ethan Woy and an equally confident throw from his son!”
“Don’t forget to give Parham some credit there too, Matt. Not many high school receivers can run an out-and-up that efficiently.”
…
“Elliot Clark, Altoona Mirror. Ethan, it’s been 19 years since Everett has won an ICC championship in football. As we all know, you were a part of the last team that won an ICC title here. Which one of these is more satisfying?”
The exhausted head coach managed enough energy to crack a smile. “Definitely this one. We didn’t have a championship game in 2008, remember?”
The group of reporters chuckled before Ethan could continue his answer. “But seriously, I’d choose this one. This conference has gotten so much better since I played and this group of kids has been an absolute joy to coach. Tyrone’s a very talented and well-coached team, and coming out victorious against them twice this season should speak upon how difficult it is to do this.”
“Henry Jacobsen, Bedford Gazette. Ethan, after missing out on a first-round bye in last season’s District 5 playoffs, how nice will it be to have homefield advantage this time around?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’ll be nice to have the week off, but we’re going to run into a tough team regardless if we’re the one seed or the five seed. Windber ran through the West-PAC and Conemaugh Township has been a constant in the D5 playoffs for years now. And I haven’t even mentioned Northern Bedford or Hyndman yet. All of them could win District 5-AA, but admittedly it is an advantage to not have to travel for any games. We’ve put in the work for that opportunity and we’re thankful for that opportunity.”
“Any more questions for Coach Woy?”
The Everett head man was about to stand up and leave, but the ICC’s PR official pointed out someone in the back.
“Tim Moore, Bedford County Free Press. Ethan, would you say that the announcement of your NCAA sanctions actually helped you this week? Instead of worrying about coaching in college, you can block out those distractions and focus on the team you have.”
“Tonight is about the boys in that lockerroom and this in front of me,” Ethan snapped, wrapping his arm around the ICC Championship trophy. “It’s not about college or any of that stuff. It was never a distraction because I wasn’t thinking of it. I have the best damn job in the world coaching these boys.”
“So if you have the best job in the world, then why were you actively looking for a new one?”
Ethan didn’t give the reporter even a slight glance as he grabbed the trophy and shook the PR guy’s hand before walking back to the office. He knew that questions about the sanctions would only increase over the coming weeks, and that he’d have to eventually give some answers – whether they were true or not.
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