Another relatively quiet midweek led into a busy and very HOT Friday evening. This was opening weekend of my thirty-sixth year on the mic for football at McCaskey (already?), the Red Tornado hosted John Bartram (from Philadelphia) in a non-league game. In 2022 JPM won one game, that was over Bartram in overtime in Philly. The last time the program had a winning season was 2010, in the twelve years since the mark is just 25-94. The game on this night began at 7:00, gametime temperature was 85 degrees and there was ABSOLUTELY NO AIR in that stadium. The lack of anything that remotely resembled a BREEZE made the press box a sauna bath and the fact that the game lasted better than two-and-a-half hours made it all the more uncomfortable. When I work a football game I watch the plays develop through binoculars, when the lenses fog up from the heat and my eyeglasses are already fogged up from sweating it makes a tough job all the more a challenge. JPM lost the game 26-12, both scores for the Red Tornado coming on TD passes from quarterback Jalen Cintron to wideout Quimeak Talton. Neither team apparently had much confidence in its kicking game, Bartram scored four TDs and went for two after each with one successful conversion while JPM was 0-2 in two-point tries. The club plays its next two on the road, the next home game is September 15 versus division rival Hempfield. Take care, thanks for reading.
