It's still very early in the preseason for high school football. As part of the preparation for the Friday night battles in August, the DCIAA schools participate in a passing league which consists of 7 players on a side, one football, no pads and no helmets. The receivers sure up their route running and catching and the defenders work on pass coverage. No pads means no tackling so the receivers are subject to some vicious shoves disguised as two hand touches. McKinley Tech lost to Dunbar in the last game which eliminated them from the passing league playoffs. Tick tock tick tock until late August.
The prep sports seasons are over and school is almost out for the summer. But of course the public high schools here as well as many around the country are competing in 7 on 7 passing leagues. Usually my football coverage consists of orange, orange and more orange. This post includes orange but the focus is on a new color. Burgundy...or maroon.
Coach Jason Lane stepped down as head coach of the Coolidge Colts after the 2009 football season. He was then replaced by Coach Natalie Randolph in March. The media storm has died down during the off-season but I'm sure it'll kick right back up in August because it sounds like a plot from Friday Night Lights.
For now, I'm introducing McKinley Tech. But first, the good ol' orange (I'm gonna make my way back eventually).
For this installment of 8to8, I spent a shift with Protective Services Police Officer CJ Leo. The District of Columbia Protective Services Police Department is a force responsible for providing police and security services to all District Government Facilities throughout the District of Columbia. By the description, you'd think that all they do is stand guard in front of local government buildings but they are responsible for a lot more. They share the Metropolitan Police Department dispatch channels and respond to calls if they're in the area.
I learned from Officer Leo and his partner of the ride along jinx. Similar to the way that the Madden cover ruins seasons, the ride along ruins any chance of exciting activity. I didn't know what to expect so anything that happened would have been interesting to me. As far as Jack Bauer goes, the day was pretty uneventful. While I was present, they did the routine building checks, ran the IDs of some guys drinking outside, and tried to track down a girl who ran away from the Child and Family Services Agency. The action occurred when the officers went to serve an arrest warrant to a gentleman charged with making misdemeanor threats. It turned out that the guy had a respiratory problem and couldn't carry enough oxygen tanks to last him through the night in jail. Instead, he was told to turn himself in on Monday morning.
Another day, another 8. I'm always looking for my next subject so contact me via email or hit me up on twitter if you're interested or know someone who might be.
On a sad note, a woman was hit by a truck near Nationals Park that day. It was a call that the officers would have responded to as it was in their patrol area, but we were at headquarters because I needed to sign a waiver.
P.S. this blog post includes an embedded slideshow so it might not be viewable in your feed reader. You might just have to head to the site Untitled, Michael Starghill.
The Battle of Bethesda was a good one. Landon (Bethesda) rallied to beat Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda) 9-8 in the championship game. At one point, Landon was down 5-0 in the first quarter. We all know that you play to win the game, and Landon hung in there and did just that. Read about it here. Shout out to Landon. Their baseball team won the championship earlier in the day.
I settled in to a spot on the field to shoot this lacrosse game Wednesday afternoon, but Bethesda weather had other plans for me. Right when the game began, so did a torrential downpour. Followed shortly by thunder and lightning. An hour later, the game was postponed and rescheduled for Thursday afternoon.
As expected, Landon beat Episcopal 14-4 to move on to the IAC finals against longtime rival, in everything, Georgetown Prep. So, the battle of Bethesda resumes Saturday May 15th when the two lacrosse powerhouses collide. Shout out to the crease. If you step in it, you'll never score.
If I could choose my dream job, the one thing that I'd do for the rest of my life is document the seasons of various sports teams. From practice to preseason to post season celebration, or dejection in some cases. I'd like to be there and be the eyes for the people who weren't. I had the opportunity to do that in a less committed capacity with the Gonzaga High School Purple Eaglesvarsity basketball team. During my time there, it was interesting to see the joys of the highs and the disappointment of the lows. They put a lot of hard work and passion into winning and being the best team that they can be, and it shows when I take a look back into the season I just shot.
The Gonzaga Eagles were one of the best basketball teams in the Washington DC metro area this year and have been for years now. They are even considered one of the top programs in the country as they travel during the Christmas holiday competing and defeating some of the country's best teams.
The Purple Eagles finished this season 28-7 and ranked 23rd in the nation according toMaxPreps.com. They lost the WCAC championship to DeMatha but exacted some revenge shortly after defeating them in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. I created and published a book chronicling this years team and you can preview the whole book here. Shout out to coach Steve Turner and the Gonzaga Eagles. See y'all next year...well, some of y'all.
Yes I can. The first game I shot this season for DC United was their first victory. I am absolutely good luck. Danny Allsopp scored two goals and almost made it a hat trick while United goalie Bill Hamid allowed none. Read about it here. I wish I had a witty anecdote to share about my interactions and observations or the complexities of shooting Major League Soccer, but I don't. Although every Mexican restaurant that I passed on the way home (that night on May 5th) was PACKED!
