It wasn’t long into the state championship game between the West Rowan Falcons and the West Craven Eagles that my daughter, Alex, and her friends, along with many other kids there, bellowed out, “West Ro. You know.”
I laughed and made fun.
The saying was just a little too silly.
Then, not much more into the game, the girls pointed up and stated, “Look at the falcon flying overhead. It’s a sign.”
I quickly reminded them the large feathered bird flying from above could very well be an eagle.
They refused to believe it.
Soon, my focus went away from the sky and back on the field. It was either an interception or a touchdown or just one of the many awesome plays accomplished by the West Rowan team ó my daughter’s team, which has become my team, even though I’ll always cherish my days as a North Rowan Cavalier.
It was one of the many plays that left me with little voice the rest of the day.
I was glad the fans sitting directly in front of us were just as excited. You worry about those things when you’re sitting somewhere like thatówhether the people in front of you will be tolerant.
Well, I do anyway. And, more so, my husband does.
I am one who tends to get overly excited. I jump. I yell. I dance. I flap like a falcon. I high-five.
And it eased my mind when one of the men in front of us turned immediately to high-five when Kevin Parks ran in for the touchdown.
I was there and gladly accepted the high-five invitation. That got me fired up, and I high-fived anyone else I could find.
But that man was always there.
Occasionally, I was distracted, so my husband filled in for me.
One of the times may have been when I practiced my saying of “West Ro. You know.” My husband said I sounded like I was making a special edition for a card game, saying “West Ro. UNO.”
I practiced it later after the game. I practiced with a deep voice. I practiced with an attitude walk.
In my low voice I said, “West Ro. You know. Is that better?” I asked the girls. “NO!” they said simultaneously.
Clearly, I was a distraction, but most of the time the distraction came from holding up my West Rowan blanket in the air.
The fans across the way were probably laughing since the blanket was sideways, backwards, upside down, then backwards and upside down. I requested the assistance of my daughter’s friend, Savannah, to help me hold it up.
She rolled her eyes a bit, to a “this is kind of weird, Sandy” look.
Nonetheless, she reluctantly obliged. I hope my blanket was seen well and appreciated by the players and anyone else who cared.
I know I appreciated the many signs that day, made for all to enjoy. Such as the “D” and then a fence sign.
My favorite sign of the day was “Come Craven. Go Home Hungry” with the other side saying “Nixon says I do to a State Championship today.” Not sure if the back was the exact words. Not sure who the man was, but my husband and I wondered if he was related to West Rowan coach Joe Nixon,whose fiancée Hillary Hampton was anxiously awaiting his arrival after the game, when they would be wed.
I kept telling my husband all day, someone needs to go to him after the wedding and say, “So, Joe Nixon, you just won the state championship. And you just got married. What are you going to do now?”
I wondered if their honeymoon was in Disney World. I laughed at myself. My husband questioned why he is still married to me, once again.
But he tolerated me that day. My kids and her friends endured my antics all day as well, beginning with the ride to the game when we passed the band buses on the interstate. I rolled down the window yelling at them and waving.
Jessica, my daughter’s other friend, called someone in the band she knew.
“Hey,” she said. “You’re in the band, right?” she asked. “Well, did you see us pass you guys?”
The friend must not have been sure.
“Well, did you see some crazy woman waving and yelling out the window? … “Yea. Well, that was us.”
My excitement didn’t stop in the car. And I can gladly say I was not the only one.
We all came. We all cheered. We all were happy. For that one moment in time, it didn’t matter if we were a player, a band member, a cheerleader, a book worm, a player’s parent, a teacher. We all appreciated our special bond. We all took in the game and savored it and will remember it forever.
Alex looks forward to celebrating with her friends, classmates and teachers, including one of her favorite teachers, Durwood Bynum, a coach for the team ó and also a character. I enjoyed watching his excitement on the field with the team.
“I’m so proud of my school,” my daughter said. “I’m so proud to be a Falcon.”
“Yea,” I agreed with her. “Must have been a falcon flying over,” I thought.
Then I blurted out, “West Ro. You know.”
“Yea, I know mom,” she said with a huge smile.