Dublin Lions Football Field – Growing Up in Dublin, Texas
My Brother Kenneth played Tight-End for the Dublin Football Team. Each Friday night that Dublin played their Home Games the whole family would go. I remember a couple of incidents which happened at that field.
As a kid I would play under the bleachers when not watching the game. I and others of my age would climb the metal framework of the bleachers, and search the ground for any treasure we were in hopes of finding, like dropped billfolds, purses or moneys. I do not recall finding anything as it was a bit dark under there. Anyway we would run and play. We would always play tag, and we would run precariously in, out and over the metal bars. Running like the wind and then just ducking underneath the next bar or climbing over it. Ducking underneath was the fastest. Well, I came up short by not ducking soon enough and, “Wham !!!” that bar knocked me down flat on the ground before I knew it. Seems like I laid there forever, although it was only a few seconds, sitting up my head was still spinning a bit, then I reached up and touched the throbbing bump that had rose on the right front toward the top of my forehead. it was wet so I knew it was blood, but it was not running down my face so it could not be all that bad. I knew I was in trouble, as I got up and found my way back to the front of the bleachers. How many times had Dad and Mom told me not to play there. I reluctantly found my way through all the people in the stands to Mom and Dad, who were watching the football game. After a few concerning words Mom began turning my head so she could get a better look at the damage I had inflicted on myself, as Dad was throwing a few more not so concerned words my way. Needless to say I paid more attention to the football game and did not play under those bleachers any more.
The other incident concerned my Brothers Friend Joe Hicks, who was the quarterback of the team. and it occurred on the football field. The Dublin football bleachers where the loyal Lion fans sat where not huge by any means, but when you are little and setting half to three quarters of the way up they seem pretty big. Looking on to the field, the players seem small and it was hard to follow just what was going on. The only time I could actually see and understand what was going on was just before the ball was snapped to the quarterbacks waiting hands, after that it was a bunch of Green and Gold uniformed players running one way and whatever colored uniforms chasing after them. If Dublin scored a touchdown then everyone would leap up, then jump up and down and cheer. The Band would start playing and the cheerleaders were all happy and showing off. Of course it was a bit quieter when the opposing team scored, and you could almost hear the coach yelling at someone for their missed opportunity. most of the time most of the plays involved the players on either side of the ball staying on the ground and chasing after one another, but the one time I remember this was not so.
Dublin was moving the ball down the field and were on or around the twenty yard line. When the ball was snapped there was the usual mesh of players in their respective colors moving to where the ball was. This time was a bit odd, the players were going right on a sweep around the end, when all of a sudden there was Joe Hicks being hoisted in the air almost as if he was being lifted up on the shoulders of the other players as the hero of the game, but the game was not over, Dublin had not scored and it was not the green and gold doing the carrying. As soon as he was up, the whole thing collapsed in a pile of players. All went silent, as the referees cleared the players from the heap. There was one player who did not get up and then the coaches and trainers ran toward Joe lying on the field. After some time a Doctor ran on to the field and then the Ambulance, at the end of the Field started its lights to flashing and slowly started to move down the track toward the side of the field he was on, at the same time a stretcher was being carried by two men in a trot towards them. They put Joe on the stretcher, and into the ambulance and it drove away slowly, lights flashing, as it made its way out the end of the field.
The game began again.
I think Dublin lost.
©2006 Texas Tortilla Factory – Mike Vauthier