It’s not the story, but it’s one that we won’t let get buried. The Star-Telegram provided a great recap of the game, but what happened after the game drew the attention of The SMG Report. The end of football games in Texas usually end in a line across midfield where gladiators of the gridiron show sportsmanship and class with their competitors. No matter how hard the game was fought, players and coaches gather themselves, corral raw emotion and utter the two words that put the win or loss into final perspective, “Good game!” After winning the UIL 4A D1 Region 2 Area Championship, the reigning state champion Celina football team celebrated with their fans and left the field. This left Eastern Hills players and coaches in disbelief and Celina would have left the field had the Highlanders returned to their sideline. The audible dismay caused the coaches to turn and respond, meeting the coaches and a few of the players near Celina’s sideline.
Though Pennington Field was a neutral site for both teams, the game felt much like a home game for Celina. Orange and white signs covered the boundaries of the stands and Celina faithful covered nearly every inch of the sideline. For their presence in the stands, Hills’ supporters were nearly equal in number to the naked eye. Eastern Hills went into the match as a huge underdog. Not one to be counted out, the Highlanders stayed in the fight despite several miscues on special teams and meager secondary performance. A dropped interception on Celina’s opening drive was all the Bobcats needed to keep driving and scoring on a soaring pass directly to the end zone.
Jamarion Hardemon scored two touchdowns and Chris Johnson notched another score, adding to his 1,000 season. The Bobcat attack was simply too much, too often. The Highlanders were without senior star Prince Hill, who went down last week against Kennedale. His senior leadership on the field was sorely missed, but he did what he could supporting his teammates on the sideline. With a slew of options awaiting on the sideline, Celina’s substitutions were as potent against the young Highlander team as the starters. The deeper the playoff run, the more visceral the emotions become. The Highlander sideline erupted often with coaches and players bemoaning the lack of balanced officiating. As players ran into Eastern Hill’s punter, the nearby official could be heard saying there was no foul.
A questionable call about a made or missed field goal and allegations of holding on running plays infuriated the Highlanders. The game was tough and challenged the Highlanders to keep their heads despite their feelings. In the end, Coach Devvin Anderson gathered his players and his staff and prepared them to commend Celina on a game that was handily decided by halftime. Emotions ran raw and officials cautioned players on both teams to keep a handle on their emotions as the game drew to a close. In the end, Celina made off with their Area Championship trophy with bad sportsmanship in tow.
Championships aren’t decided once the game is over, but championship behavior extends beyond the field of play. This game was a teachable moment for Eastern Hills, who will use this opportunity to build on for the future. This team wasn’t expected to make it past Kennedale last week and to some weren’t even expected to get on the board against Celina’s stifling defense. What Eastern Hills will remember is that they played as men. But when they extended their hand, Celina disrespected the Highlanders and the game of football.
Celina has a chance to make this right, but don’t expect it to happen before their playoff run ends.
