This upcoming weekend is a huge one in the state of Texas.  Many a town or community will have an extra Merry Christmas when it is over.  It is the weekend of high school football state title games.  Every class of school from the smallest to the largest will crown their champion for 2013.  Each game will be played in Arlington at the stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play.  Odds are good it will be the best football played there this year so far.  No way can anyone outside our state can totally comprehend the sheer magnitude of what is about to happen.  Football is our second largest religion here besides being a Baptist. 

My small town would shut down when we played away from home way back when.  And if we played a longer way out of town then it shut down early so everyone went to the game.  Just to make the playoffs back then was quite a feat.  Even with more teams getting into the tournament does not take away from what it means.  Larger schools obviously come from areas of more population.  Our smaller schools still receive quite the turnout each week.  Pride often arises from the success of a small school for years should they win a title.  You pass through many towns with billboards of various sizes welcoming you to the town of a state champion.  You may miss the city limit sign but you cannot miss the billboards.

It was my privilege to see three state championship games in a row with my school here.  I also shot the film for each contest.  I now wear one of my two state title rings often very proudly.  No one has to tell me that this accomplishment is not easy to achieve.  You have to have talent, coaching, and a little luck to reach that level.  Who knew that receiving a ring while in my mid 40s would happen?  My plan is to wear it as long as I have fingers.  Whoever wins out this weekend can say they earned their championship.  Parents and kids will share the stories for the rest of their life.  Some of the athletes will go on to play in college and perhaps professional.  Many will end up with this victory as their sole reminder of playing the game.  No one can take that away from them.

Football is a brutal game.  We read the reports almost daily of significant brain injuries much less other ailments.  But it still educates our young men in Texas in ways the classroom cannot.  These guys learn about discipline, endurance, friendship and learning to live with the highs and lows of life.  People can take it way too seriously.  Some coaches are less about teaching life than using talent for personal gain.  Communities can become a battlefield for conflict over a program.  None of this is ever pretty.  But let us celebrate this weekend the positive aspects of the game.  One team will win while the other loses.  But trust me on this one thing.  You cannot truly lose unless you allow yourself to be swept up in the idea of it.  Just playing for a title is a victory unto itself.  I can only hope these young men can realize how lucky they are after a long year.  May all of their travels be safe and may this not be the highlight of their life win or lose.

Bro. Trey