Back-to-Back Onsides Kicks Spur Tommies' Win Over Polars

Scenes like this made me think that every football game could be improved upon by playing in front of trains.

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Friday's matchup between the North High Polars and the Edison Tommies was that work kept me from missing at least some of the action.  I couldn't make it before part of the first quarter had passed by, and the Tommies were already up 14-0.  Adding insult to injury of this volunteer blogger, the Star Tribune has not posted the full box score of the game like they used to last year.  I haven't found out yet whether this is due to cutbacks at the newspaper or if the schools simply didn't pass on enough information.  So I won't be able to describe HOW the Tommies jumped out to the early lead.

Looking at the program, I was struck at how YOUNG our North High Polars team is this year.  We have only a handful of seniors, and quite a few sophomores and freshmen are playing at the varsity level.  On the other hand, we weren't sure if we would even have a school this year, much less field a football team.

Thankfully, watching the Polars, it's clear that they have athleticism and heart, and when they take the field it's not with an attitude of "we're just glad to be here."  They expect to win.  Unfortunately, the youth of the team shows at times.  One of my best football coaches stressed the little things over and over.  Hustle all the time, never, ever take your helmet off or remove your mouthguard, hustle, know the play and get to your spot.  And hustle, that seemed to be important.  Do enough of the little things, and the big things take care of themselves.

That's a lesson these kids are still learning, but they gave Edison a handful by...

Polars Rebound, Dominate Teddies 30-6

Roosevelt RB Pruitt almost always made the first tackler bounce right off.

The Polars' swarming D moved Roosevelt backwards.

Epps running for a first down.

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman

Before we get started on the actual game, a commentary on football team names is in order.  Roosevelt High School's team name is the Teddies, presumably after former US President Theodore Roosevelt.  This fellow was unarguably the most badass President in American history - possibly the most badass person to ever have lived or been created  (not even Chuck Norris or Darth Vader come close).  Among other things, he was a deputy sheriff, an explorer, a big game hunter, a police commissioner, the assistant Secretary of the Navy, and a war hero.  And yet he never lost the soft spot in his heart for unadulterated violence. 

He carried a pistol with him at all times in the White House, even though he could probably just stare at enemies' bullets through his monocle and they would stop out of pure fear.  He even survived an assassination attempt and continued to deliver a campaign speech with the bleeding wound still undressed.  Did I mention he had asthma growing up?  Teddy Roosevelt beat up asthma too.  Furthermore, he was a pretty darn good President to boot.  Now I had asthma as a kid, and managed to beat it as well.  However, I lose points in comparison with Roosevelt because I've stayed home from work when my back was sore and also when I had pinkeye.

And we're going to name a football team--FOOTBALL, a rather violent sport itself--after this dude by calling it the TEDDIES?  That's just insulting the man's legacy.  I should point out that naming the school after a president and then adding "ies" to the first name to create a team nickname can be problematic.  Grant High School Ulyssesies gets tricky, although the Van Buren Martinis could work as a softball team sponsored by a bar.  Hayes High Rutherford...well, I give up.

As far as the game goes, the scoring started after...