Interscholastic football at Delco Christian was very low budget and our schedule consisted of two games of 6-man touch football with Northeast Christian. I was a wide-eyed freshman chosen to start at left-end and our first game was away at Northeast. Our principal had been an outstanding high school and college athlete. He pulled me from geometry class that morning before we left for the game and went over pass patterns with me. He had some valuable lessons that were to bear fruit.
We arrived at a dusty dirt field somewhere in Philly. I was never quite sure where it was, but that was the scene of battle for that day. Along with old pants and high top sneakers (mine were still white…sort of), we wore green and white jerseys, each homemade and little different. My Mom had sewn a white ‘13’ on mine.
The game was evenly fought and contested for 3 ½ quarters, a scoreless deadlock. Then, we ran our crossover play. I pretended to be tired and confused, and floated unnoticed to the other side of the field. The quarterback delivered the ball from behind outstanding protection. I made the catch and turned up field,amazed to see all that open space. There were about 60 yards to the goal line and I remember thinking the only guy with a chance to catch me was that fast guy on the other side of the field. I took off instantly, hugging the sideline, racing to the point where the side and goal lines intersected. I was lucky to be the base of the triangle that day, that fast guy having to traverse the hypotenuse. I could see him closing fast around the 20 yard line, but geometry and good coaching were too much to overcome. I crossed the goal line, untouched and one step ahead. Final score: 7 – 0…
They came to our field for the second game. We had grass, but because of the nature of our campus, it was downhill to one sideline and up hill to the other. In the interest of fairness, we played across the hill. The home crowd lasted until the second quarter and the end of lunch time, the science and the Spanish teacher equally colorful in their support. The Northeast Christians seemed overwhelmed. We scored almost at will and my kickoffs kept them mired deep in their own end. It was 56-O at the end of the first half.
The principal spoke to us between halves. He reminded us about mercy and other Christian stuff. Final score: 70 – 0…
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SPAZZ
THE RAMBLERS
JIM GREENGRASS
THE INDIANS
THE PREACHER’S KID
THE KNIGHTS