In Nebraska, Friday night means football–especially in small towns all across the state.
And for the mechanics and the truck drivers and the salesmen and the farmers who are sitting in the bleachers, standing in the backs of pick-up trucks, or walking the sidelines on a cinder track, high school football is the one thing that takes them away from the cares and the troubles of this world.
“Not much happens in this little town. For those of us who have stuck around, I guess it’s always been fourth and long. But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the things we got left. I’ve been watching this team for more than 45 years and on any Friday night in September or October, there’s nothing I’d rather do than watch these kids play.”
“And just look around–there’s a lot of folks who feel the same way I do. Oh, you won’t find none of the flash that you get in the bigger towns, but what we got here is the real deal and it’s important to a lot of us.”
Wayne Steensland has been enjoying high school football in Nebraska for more than 45 years. As we were talking, his team was getting beat 33-0 with seven minutes left to play in the second quarter. Despite the shellacking, he stayed to the end of the game, shook hands with the coaches, encouraged the players, and then grabbed a broom and headed for the concession stands.
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