No loser at rivalry football game

Gail Wood | The Olympian • Published September 15, 2009

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They were on their feet, buzzing with excitement.

And the kickoff for Friday’s rivalry game between Olympia and Capital at Ingersoll Stadium was still 45 minutes away.

You want excitement? You want thrills? Then turn off your TV and head to your nearest high school football stadium.

On Friday night at Ingersoll, the game and the atmosphere were electric.

In the end, it was Olympia pulling out a wild 35-28 comeback victory, with Justin Henry scooping up a fumble and racing 72 yards for the game-winning touchdown with four minutes left.

Whether you were pulling for the Bears or the Cougars, it was a classic high school football game. And the Rockwell-like setting was a reflection of a supportive community. With the 3,800-seat Ingersoll packed, fans spilled out onto the track. Another 1,000-plus fans were in the end zones. Another couple hundred were outside the stadium, standing behind the cyclone fence watching and cheering.

I attended a game at Ingersoll in 1970, back in the day when high school sports were still the center of a community. But a Wilson-Olympia game didn’t draw the crowd and excitement Friday’s rivalry did. It was like a throwback to another time.

While turnout in games in Tacoma and Seattle have dwindled, where parents and communities have grown indifferent to high school sports, Olympia remains connected.

Kudos to the schools, coaches, players, parents, students and fans. It was an impressive team effort. Capital lost. But a community won.

posted by Gail Wood