Sportsmanship has been on display during these high school football playoffs — and it’s been great to see

The Ririe Bulldogs wait patiently for the Aberdeen Tigers to finish a team huddle before congratulating the Aberdeen players on a solid season. Ririe beat the Tigers, 14-8, in the 3A football state semifinals. In the foreground, head coaches Josh Huntsman and Derek Jolley share some kind words. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com Note: As a bonus to our readers who have followed us into Year 2, the East Idaho Sports staff will post a special story on Sundays – Could be a column, opinion, feature, or just something fun and goofy. Hope you enjoy, and thanks again for coming along on this journey. EASTERN IDAHO — Between the lines, the football field is a gritty, physical place. The passion and brutality of the game can often devolve into animosity, scuffles, or even outright brawls. But through this weekend, and the entire football playoffs for that matter, the sportsmanship of eastern Idaho athletes and coaches has shone through. Obviously, I haven’t been at every playoff game. But I have attended eight games through the first three weeks of the state tournament, and I am choosing to take what I have seen as a microcosm of what has occurred across the state. In those eight games, I have seen players help opponents off the turf, offer friendly pats to the back of opposing players’ helmets after plays and a coach and opposing player who had been at odds earlier in the game share kind words after it. After the Ririe Bulldogs knocked off the Aberdeen Tigers in the 3A semifinals Thursday night at the ICCU Dome, the Ririe players waited for Aberdeen to finish its players’ huddle before sharing embraces and congratulations. It was a moment Ririe parents and fans should be proud of — the same can be said for Aberdeen supporters. After a 48-minute dogfight, where every play, every yard, carried so much meaning, the two teams wanted nothing more than to congratulate each other. But the Bulldogs had to hold themselves back from doing so to allow the Aberdeen seniors to give one last inspirational speech. When the hugs and handshakes were done, Ririe head coach Josh Huntsman spoke about the respect his team has for the Tigers — saying he wished the game had been a championship matchup instead of a semifinal. “They’re such a great team. And good kids, too,” Huntsman said of Aberdeen. “We love those guys, they’re a fun group to play against. … I wish that was the championship game. The way those guys play, they deserve to be there.” There were also several instances when Homedale players gave helmet pats to Sugar-Salem players. Trojan players throwing love toward helmets donning a logo that has brought so much pain to their program over the years. And that went the other way, with Diggers showing love to Homedale players despite falling short of the title game for the first time in nearly a decade. When a West Side player crumbled to the ICCU Dome turf with cramps, the first player to react and help him stretch out his leg was a Nampa Christian player. He stood there for several seconds, aiding an opponent until a Pirate teammate took over. These are teenage boys, many of whom are playing the last competitive football game of their lives — yet, so many of them are focused as much on being good people as they are on being competitors and champions. That has been incredible to see. Even when Century safety Adrian Gonzalez had a short, tumultuous conversation with a Columbia coach when the Diamondbacks hosted the Wildcats on Nov. 1, things turned around. Gonzalez intercepted a Columbia pass attempt late in the first half, and the opposing coach took offense to something that happened during the return. The player and coach exchanged words as they headed off the field for the halftime break. But when the clock hit triple-zeroes and the two teams formed handshake lines, that same coach grabbed Gonzalez and pulled him in for some, what appeared to be, kind words. Player and coach parted with approving chest taps for each other. Championship trophies and banners will be handed out next weekend. And while competitive balance of the championship games will be the focus — as it should — I encourage fans of all teams to watch what occurs between the whistles. The sportsmanship of these playoffs has been as impressive as the play.The post Sportsmanship has been on display during these high school football playoffs — and it’s been great to see appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com