10/31/2007 - Friday Night Lights
As I drove up the slick, windy road, the light in the sky above Route 565 served as a beacon. Despite the cool, October rain, the light, which rose above what was farmland over 30 years ago, let everyone know there was something special going on at Vernon Township High School—a Friday night football game.
Ah, yes, Friday Night Lights, right here in Vernon. For longtime Vernon football fans, it was like a scene reminiscent of the “The Wizard of Oz” as the brand-new all-purpose green Field Turf glistened like the streets and walls of the Emerald City.
As I approached the newly-renovated Viking Stadium, there was a carnival-like atmosphere, as fans gathered to gawk at the new digs. Most seemed very impressed, and as well they should, as the project was part of a $6.2 million referendum passed by the township voters last September. As the marching band played and fans lined up outside the Falls View concession wagon, it got me to thinking, to quote Jerry Garcia, “What a long, strange trip it’s been” for Vernon football.
The Vikings played their first three “home” games 30 minutes away at Skylands Park in Frankford. Although it wasn’t exactly next door, Skylands Park provided a venue for the Vikings to call home and hats off to Vernon AD Bill Edelman, football coach Chuck Tepper, a longtime champion of playing on Friday nights, and Sussex Skyhawks GM Ben Wittokowski for working out a deal to allow the games to be played there. Hopefully, more local teams will take advantage of Skylands Park.
Being a longtime Vernon resident and a former football player at VTHS, watching the throng lining the fence and filling the stands at the new Viking Stadium was nice to see. Vernon football has come a long way since it played its first-ever home game in 1975 on the field at Lounsberry Hollow Middle School. The Vikings hosted North Warren that day and fell short 12-8, just like they did last Friday night when the Lenape Valley Patriots stunned the Vikings with a wild 16-13 come-from-behind victory to spoil the opening night party. The game ended with a Lenape Valley interception with the Vikings driving at the Lenape 5-yard line with less than 30 seconds left in the game.
The tough loss reminded me that, if my memory holds right (and I was 9 years-old at the time), Vernon also had a chance to post a victory that day against North Warren, but the Vikings had a key fumble late in the game. It also served as a reminder not to play a game against a school nicknamed the Patriots when you make your home debut.
But the fact that Vernon was playing under the lights was wonderful. And with new permanent lights, Vernon joins Hopatcong and Lenape Valley as the only schools in the Sussex County Interscholastic League with lights. However, will other schools in the SCIL follow suit?
Jefferson and High Point have installed temporary lights for a week in the past and had their own Festival of Lights with all their Fall sports teams getting a chance to play during prime time culminating with a football game either Friday or Saturday night. The week-long showcase is popular with the players, coaches and fans. Especially parents, some of whom can’t make the 3:45 p.m. start for soccer and field hockey.
Playing on Friday night makes sense. A quick look at the high school football schedule in the Star-Ledger this week indicates that more than half of the games set for this weekend will be played under the lights on Friday. As most fans know, Friday night football has long been a staple around the rest of the country, especially in Texas.
In speaking with sports writers who worked outside of New Jersey, they didn’t understand why the “preps” as they called them, played on Saturday. In Florida, it is high school on Friday, college on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday with the Sunshine State boasting three professional franchises (Although the way the Dolphins are playing, that is debatable).
Sure, the cost to install lights is a big factor. But through fund raising efforts, like at Lenape and Hopatcong, or through a ballot question, like Vernon, the money can be found. I know as we speak everyone’s property taxes are rising, but wouldn’t it be nice to see something tangible put to use with your hard-earned tax money? Look at the crowds at Lenape and Hopatcong games. It is a happening and people kick off their weekend with the games. Families gather, and for the most part, there are no scheduling conflicts.
I don’t have tell any parents who have more than one kid, what a nightmare scheduling can be on a weekend, with other commitments like soccer, cheerleading, dance class, fall baseball, etc. Playing Friday will ease that burden, and in these busy days, it could guarantee one night the family is all together.
Now I know there are coaches who hate the idea, with Pope John’s Vic Paternostro being the leading critic in the SCIL. Vic believes it cuts into preparation time and he doesn’t like the idea of a game being played on a school day. Fair enough. But other sports do it all the time. Could you imagine Pope John playing Sparta on a Friday night? The town would shut down and it would draw fans from all over.
And seems ironic that one of PJ’s biggest rivals is Lenape and that game will be played under the lights when the Pats are the home team, like this Friday night.
All in all, I think Friday night football is the way to go these days. Fall is a beautiful time of the year here in Sussex County, and with a Saturday free, you will have time to enjoy what the county has to offer.
RANDOM THOUGHTS… Now that the state tournament is in full swing, here are a couple of thoughts. In soccer, look for Newton’s boys to make a run in North 1, Group 2. Pat Brennan’s boys knocked off Westwood 3-0 the other day and will host old rival Glen Rock Friday. The fourth-seeded Braves and No. 5 Panthers are no strangers as the Braves bumped off the Panthers in the 2005 section final to give longtime coach Pat O’Donohue a sectional title in his final season. Wouldn’t it be cool to see Kittatinny come out of the other side of the bracket? The Cougars will face No. 2 seeded Kinnelon Friday after beating Dumont 2-1 in the first round
Sparta’s boys are the top seed in North 1, Group 3, but they will most likely see a talented Morris Hills squad in the semifinals. The Scarlet Knights just won the Morris County Tournament and are tough draw. On the other side, perennial champ Ramapo will have its hands full with Wayne Valley, the Passaic County champs. The pick here is that Sparta will face Wayne Valley in the final with the Spartans taking home their first sectional crown since 1995.
On the girls’ side, Pope John had a terrific regular season, winning its fifth SCIL title in the last six years. But in what PJ coach Ryan Barbulescu calls, “The Group of Death” the Lions will be hard pressed to beat Pingry, the Somerset County champs when they square off Thursday in the Non-Public, North A semifinals. The Lions advanced with a terrific 5-0 win over Paramus Catholic.
Sparta’s girls also have had a super season, but they received the toughest first-round opponent of all the local entries in Roxbury. The Spartans will face the Morris County champs Thursday in Roxbury.
Congrats to Jim Green and his outstanding staff and players at Kittatinny. The Cougars clinched a share of their first-ever SCIL football title and they will look to win it outright with a win over Newton Saturday. Let’s hope the Cougars and Lenape Valley make it to the section final, which would guarantee a local champ.
That is it for now, see you on the sidelines.
|
