Going to the sidelines allowed me to feel the emotion and passion of the 4A title game

FROM KEITH GROLLER

There was no room in the Nazareth press box for me on Saturday night. Two cable TV crews, the P.A. man, spotter, clock operator and two spots for the area's other newspaper and it filled up fast. Appropriately, Stephen Miller took the one spot afforded to The Morning Call, although he was crammed tight against the wall.

I could have stood in the box if I wanted -- there was barely enough room for that either. Again, this is not a spacious box we're talking about here.

But instead I made a decision that turned out to be a good one for me.

I watched the game from the sidelines.

Don't hardly ever do that. I also do it in June in Nazareth for the McDonald's all-star game because of the same circumstances and usually it's nice enough weather to walk the sidelines.
The weather actually cooperated pretty well on Saturday night, although it didn't feel like June by the end of the night.

Being on the sidelines really gives you a sense of something you can't get in the box and that's the emotion, the passion and ups and downs a team feels during the course of a game.
There was more room on the Easton sidelines and that's where I was from the time the team came running out on the field until the postgame handshakes were exchanged. I did sneak in a quick visit to Grand Central Station (the press box) at halftime. If you are claustrophobic, this was not the place for you and I got out of there after grabbing a hot dog and a water.

Anyway being on the sideline really was enlightening and gave a great sense of what the kids, the coaches, the fans were experiencing.

And this one was a roller coaster ride. Easton was soaring early, taking a 14-0 lead The whole sideline and packed bleachers right behind were going nuts.

But slowly, Nazareth gained control of the game and things got quieter and quieter and the air was slowly coming out of the emotional balloon for Easton.

You could sense it within the players and coaches that things had turned and frustration mounted. Steve Shiffert even got upset with a chain-gang member at one point and there was some barking at the officials. It's all part of the game.

I am on record as saying that as long as Easton plays in the Thanksgiving Day game against Phillipsburg, it will never win a state title game. The toll of playing so many games in a short span of time eventually takes a toll.

Sometimes it doesn't catch up to Easton in the district finals, but eventually, it does.

But I will say this -- I love watching Easton try to prove me wrong.

They meet this challenge head on every year with great pride and passion.
It wasn't enough to beat a very talented Nazareth team on Saturday night, but as usual, the Red Rovers gave it a great shot. And I give them a tremendous amount of credit for that.

As for Nazareth, I think their offense -- with Dan Harding at quarterback and a bunch of super wide receivers and freshman back Jordan Gray -- will be tough to stop in the state playoffs.
I think the Blue Eagles defense is still a little vulnerable, but it would not shock me to see Nazareth add a third championship to the Lehigh Valley Conference and district titles they have already won.

And if Nazareth is playing in that last game of the season, the 4A finals, on the night of Dec. 17, I do hope I have a seat in the press box for that one because I have a feeling it will be much colder than it was on Saturday night.

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