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2021 Year In Review

2021 Year In Review

After an unimaginable 2020 season, this year was a bit more relaxed. Though rushed. With the previous season ending in June, there was little downtime before the 2021 season started. This affected my usual summer plans, as well as made the financial planning a bit more precarious. I wasn’t sure, in the summer, just how much I would or could do. But, I was intent on doing as much as possible. And though a lot was ‘old’, there was a lot of ‘new’ thrown in. Including my month long trip around the middle of the country. Continue reading “2021 Year In Review”

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2021 Week 17 (Texas)

2021 Week 17 (Texas)

I’ve been to games in Texas every season since 2009. I have been to the Texas state finals each year since 2011. This marks the tenth championship weekend I had attended at AT&T Stadium (formerly Cowboys Stadium). The lone exception has been the 2015 games that were hosted at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

Also, the 5A doubleheader at San Antonio in 2009, and the single 1AD2 game hosted in San Angelo this past January. In total, I had been to 107 state championship games in four different venues. Of those, 94 were at AT&T Stadium. Though, I had been to 98 games at the stadium (adding a quadrupleheader in 2010). And 107 games in Arlington (9 games were down the street at Globe Life Park). Continue reading “2021 Week 17 (Texas)”

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2021 Week 15 (Pennsylvania & West Virginia)

2021 Week 15 (Pennsylvania & West Virginia)

Finally back in Pennsylvania for a weekend. However, the schedule didn’t want to cooperate. For the PIAA Semifinals, only a couple of Saturday games. And nowhere was that able to be worked into a doubleheader.

I had wanted to head to New York for the state championships. It had been a while since I had been to the Carrier Dome for games. However, my media request was on the basis that there’d be a handful of Section 6 teams making the state finals. That did not happen. Randolph, Jamestown, and even Maritime/Health Sciences failed to advance to the finals. Continue reading “2021 Week 15 (Pennsylvania & West Virginia)”

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2021 Week 14 (Pennsylvania)

2021 Week 14 (Pennsylvania)

After returning from Minnesota, I took the week off and tried to get my back in order. That somewhat worked. But I also had some personal scheduling issues crop up on Friday.

I had planned to take in one of the two days of the WPIAL Finals at Heinz Field. Another photographer was scheduled for Friday. So, I was just going to be there Saturday. And had planned to find a single available Friday night game. I was hoping to do either of the two games at Slippery Rock (preferred) or at Karns City. However, PAFN had coverage of those two games. And I offered to do the Mt. Lebanon v. McDowell game on Friday night. Continue reading “2021 Week 14 (Pennsylvania)”

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2021 Week 13 (Minnesota)

2021 Week 13 (Minnesota)

This was the second week of a two weekend trip. This two week trip was planned when both the Iowa and Minnesota semifinals were scheduled on consecutive weekends. I had been to Iowa’s semifinals now four times. And this was going to be my third time seeing Minnesota semifinals. And second time seeing the cavalcade of 14 games in just three days at the US Bank Stadium. Continue reading “2021 Week 13 (Minnesota)”

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2021 Week 10 (Great Plains)

2021 Week 10 (Great Plains)

So, these are all going to be just a tad late. The Sunday after the Week 9 games, I was back in El Paso, Texas and my back was just not having a good time. My next stop was near Lubbock. And I managed through the week and on Thursday afternoon, was looking for any game. I had planned to be in Dodge City for the Six-Man Championships of Kansas, dubbed the Wild West Bowl, but other than that, hadn’t thought about this weekend too much in advance. Continue reading “2021 Week 10 (Great Plains)”

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2021 Week 7 (Kansas)

2021 Week 7 (Kansas)

I figured at some point this season, I’d be making a trip west. I just didn’t think it would be this weekend. However, it was going to be an area I was now quite familiar with.

Junction City, located about two hours west of Kansas City, was hosting a Thursday night game against Topeka. I have been to Junction City before. In fact, I attended a Junction City Brigade baseball game at one of the best venues in collegiate summer league baseball: Rathert Stadium. Continue reading “2021 Week 7 (Kansas)”

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2021 Week 6 (New York & Pennsylvania)

2021 Week 6 (New York & Pennsylvania)

If any week didn’t go as planned, it would be this one. It started out with plans to see a Thursday night game in New York, a Friday night contest in Smethport, and then back to New York for an afternoon game between St. Joseph’s and Erie, and head back to Erie for a night game at Mercyhurst Prep. All four games would’ve been new places for me.

But, then those preliminary plans started unraveling. First, the Thursday game was cancelled when Gowanda/Pine Valley was unable to complete their game with Fredonia the week prior. And took the forfeit against Southwestern for Thursday night. Continue reading “2021 Week 6 (New York & Pennsylvania)”