As an old Raider, I must say that three games stand out in my mind. I was on the field for each of them, but the atmosphere around the game was unbelievable.
1990 Playoff game vs. Pocohontas @ Lawson-Fitchko
First playoff game, Lawson-Fitchko was packed and the endzones were checkerboarded. There was a buzz about the game that I hadn't seen before. The stadium was rocking and everything was buzzing.
1990 Half-State game vs. Perry McClure @ Lawson-Fitchko
Before the game, we watch the opening scene from Patton, the words "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" still ring in my ears 17 years later, wow I am old. Okay...we go out on the field, there are more people in the stands than there are in Norton, they have brought back people from the time of leather helmets to come and talk to us about the game...the game was just a complete blur. It was a fight until the end.
The last one is what the Coalfield called a "Little Black Magic"
1991 vs. Powell Valley @ Bullit Park
First time that Burton beat Powell Valley in a long time. You could just feel the energy coming off the field. I think only a handful of us knew we were getting the black jerseys after we did warmups. We went out in our usual Orange & White for warmups, then came back into the locker room and they were spread out around the locker room. We put them on and went out with more energy than we had combined in the last two seasons.
So those are my three...they are a little biased, I will mention that the year we went to Appy in 1991 that they had the best atmosphere I have ever had to play against, hands down.
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