By Julie Buehler
You’re not in high school anymore, so that means you no longer have to be embarrassed about tripping in front of your crush.
You’re not in high school anymore, so that means you don’t have to impress a teacher for a passing grade, don’t have to worry about the principle catching you skipping class and certainly don’t need to fake a stomach flu to get out of an Algebra test.
But you still remember what that was like and just as vividly, you likely remember the excitement of Friday night rituals where the whole town came out for the high school football games.
You remember the Homecoming game, the marching band, the cheerleaders, the student section full of the cool kids, the sophomore playing on varsity for the first time looking into the stands overflowing with fans.
Maybe you were in ASB and had to work the concession stand as the best-looking kid in your class asked you for a discount on their Snickers and soda and you had to smile through some freshly tightened braces and say no. Or maybe you said yes.
But you remember it all… The smells, the sites, the fans, the fun.
Do you remember the wins and losses?
Probably not, huh?
That’s not a coincident.
Professional sports might be about winning championships and getting paid to play at the highest level, but high school sports is about connecting with the community, watching young men and women learn life lessons, attain valuable experience in overcoming and pursuing goals only their coaching staff envisioned as possible.
We love high school sports because it brings out the high school kid in us all.
Friday nights are about seeing your dentist out of her white coat and in her face paint, proudly proclaiming her love for her son, #54. It’s about watching your local car dealer skip the high-pressure sales tactics and sign the check to supply extra pom-poms for the cheer squad. It’s about catching the X’s and O’s of the young lovebirds as much as the X’s and O’s on the football field.
There aren’t many forces in any given community more galvanizing that local sports and the bonds that are created through a weekly celebration of wins and piecing together optimism after a loss.
August 29th is your chance to be part of the community and find your local high school’s football game.
If you live in Palm Springs, check out the Indians. They are looking to take their loaded roster and ascend the DVL rankings with Division-I talent like the Hawkins twins (Taylor and Tyler who are gifted with size and speed) and wiry quarterback Will Olvera.
Desert Hot Springs High School is in a rebuilding year, but with new investments in the junior football ranks, their program should be improving quickly.
In Cathedral City, you’ll find a smooth talking head coach in Richard Lee, complimented with fiery offensive coordinator and mammoth offensive linemen.
Rancho Mirage High School just opened up with head coach L.D. Matthews leading the charge and the Rattlers are entering their first season as a varsity program, so you can jump on board at the ground level.
Just down the 10, off Cook Street, you’ll find both Xavier Prep and Palm Desert High School. Xavier is entering it’s first season in the DVL, the valley’s biggest league, and rival PDHS is excited to offer them a rude welcome when the teams meet at Xavier in November, the game is dubbed the “Kings of Cook Street.”
Palm Desert is coming off a DVL title last year and has talent on both sides of the ball, including “Big Red,” Tommy Jacobsson, whose frame can fill a door and his speed is used on offense and defense.
Xavier finished last season on a 5-game winning streak in which they scored 40+ points in each contest.
Further east in the valley is powerhouse La Quinta High School whose power running game isn’t a puzzle to opposing squads, but it just leaves them in pieces.
Indio High school has a young quarterback Seth Morales who can throw the ball with remarkable touch and accuracy. The consummate underdogs, the Rajahs are really easy to root for.
Coachella Valley High School with head coach Brett Davis boasting NFL ties has a new offense to showcase.
North of the 10 is Shadow Hills high school and head coach Ron Shipley who runs a tight, uh, ship.
Last year’s star running back, Isaiah Ortega is this year’s star quarterback as the Knights debut a fast-paced spread offense. 2013 was the Knight’s best season in the school’s short history as they won a playoff game and look to build on that success.
Stay tuned to KMIR and Team 1010 KXPS for all your local high school coverage and the only place to find LIVE play-by-play. I’ll be on location at the valley’s juiciest contest and we’ll keep you connected to the community unlike any years in the past!
It’s like the best part of high school without the acne, principles or tripping in front of your crush.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She can also be seen every morning between 6-7am on KMIR sharing the coolest stories in sports. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010.com or watch “Buehler’s Day Off” on Ustream and KMIR.com for her sports reports.
