I don't actually get a chance to watch high school football very often any more. I have other interests that lead me to start the weekend as soon as possible on Fridays, which means Friday nights I usually am somewhere else. But I did get to watch the Columbian Tornadoes last weekend.
I was impressed. The Tornadoes took on the Clyde Flyers and, to borrow a phrase, pretty much turned them every which way but loose.
They seem to have a good balance between the ground game and passing game ... serious weapons in each. As well as a hungry, clawing defense that continually forced turnovers at crucial times.
Given a few breaks and continued focus, the Tornadoes should give fans a successful season.
Saying all this, I still am aware that there are lots of you out there whose loyalties lie with teams other than Columbian. More power to you.
In writing some appreciative words about Columbian's program, I don't mean to ignore any of the other fine programs going on in and around Tiffin and Seneca County.
It's simply that I wasn't at any other game last Friday.
During the years I broadcast high school sports on WTTF, I was already aware and was repeatedly reminded that there is a wide range of fan loyalty throughout the area.
One of the most difficult parts of that job was balancing coverage of Columbian and Calvert games and still working as many other Seneca County teams as possible in to the season's broadcast schedule. All that, while at the same time predicting which games would be "important."
And I sometimes got it wrong.
It seems that we here in Seneca County are especially blessed with a lot of quality high school football programs. With two high schools in the county seat, and a selection of other school communities scattered through the county, we have plenty of teams to follow. I urge you to do so.
As I write this, Andy Geiger, athletic director at Ohio State, is starting to hint that running back Maurice Clarett may not play at all this season. The latest suggestions are that the investigation by the University and the NCAA keep uncovering distressing aspects to the young man's situation.
By the time you read this, the hints probably will have been confirmed.
It appears that OSU is bending over backward to bring out all of the facts about what has transpired with Clarett's young college career, and that's as it should be.
But this is starting to look serious.