Playoffs against the Permian Panthers

Our high school football team made the playoffs. Our opponent yesterday was the Permian Panthers. Yes, the team that the movie Friday Night Lights was about. We used to live in Odessa and my kids would have gone to Permian High School if we still lived there. The whole time we lived there the Panthers were not that good. This year they are awesome, wouldn't you know it! I decided to just enjoy the day, no matter what the outcome of the game. We got up early (Josh had to be at school at 6:15 because the team left at 6:30 --- that's AM!) took our 3 girls and stoppped at the store to get car chalk and they wrote all over the windows of the Suburban. We got to the stadium about 2 hours before game time. I did get teary when Josh jogged out onto the field for a pre-game warmup. I thought it might be his last football game -- his last time to put on his pads, cleats, helmet, and jersey for Mansfield High School. It was a beautiful, sun-shiny day and my boy was playing in the high school football playoffs. When the game was over we saw some friends of ours from Odessa in the parking lot. We also walked over to the field house and talked to some friends whose son played for the Panthers yesterday. Josh and their son played in the band for the student ministry at our church in Odessa. Josh talked to some of the guys he knew -- some of the guys he played football with in elementary school. Johnny coached a team one year and assisted another year. A couple of his players came over and said hi -- it was pretty cool.

So, another memory was made. Another day filled with a "last." We're cheering for the Panthers now -- hope they win state....

Go Panthers!

Jeanette