A photographer reflects on the historic Baler rivalry game
By Nick Lovejoy
Pinnacle photographer
Working for the newspaper for the past seven years, I have been
to my fair share of San Benito High sporting events, too many to
count in fact
– from baseball to volleyball, wrestling to swimming and all the
others in between. I have seen many great games from the 2005 CCS
champion football team to the softball team winning four CCS titles
in a row. What I am getting at is that I have seen and covered many
good, quality, sporting events
during my time here, but nothing can compare to the 2010 Prune
Bowl from last week.
A photographer reflects on the historic Baler rivalry game
By Nick Lovejoy
Pinnacle photographer
Working for the newspaper for the past seven years, I have been to my fair share of San Benito High sporting events, too many to count in fact – from baseball to volleyball, wrestling to swimming and all the others in between. I have seen many great games from the 2005 CCS champion football team to the softball team winning four CCS titles in a row. What I am getting at is that I have seen and covered many good, quality, sporting events during my time here, but nothing can compare to the 2010 Prune Bowl from last week.
As a photographer for the newspaper I need to keep my head on straight, which means showing no emotion toward the game being played. But last Friday night I couldn’t help it. Deep down, I wanted the Balers to pull off this rivalry game against their cross-town foes. No, I wasn’t jumping up and down cheering them on when they scored the go ahead touchdown; I was in fact concentrating very hard to get the photos I needed to tell the story of the game. I pride myself on knowing the sport in front of me, being able to be in the right spot at the right time when that play happens, as it is 90 percent of the job. In this case it was lying on my stomach behind the end zone, waiting for a player to block the punt. It happened and I was there, and though the photo wasn’t exactly what I had wanted, it did tell the story, and in turn I accomplished what I needed to.
After that, all I could think about was the celebration this team was going to have if they could hold off the Mustangs one more time. They did and the celebration began. Kids jumping, coaches shaking hands, the crowd going nuts and me, in the middle of it all, trying to focus on the job at hand. As the trophy changed hands for the first time in three years, the photo opportunities were endless. All the kids had huge smiles from ear to ear. Some hugged their opponent after what may have been the greatest high school football game I had ever seen. Like I said before, I am supposed to show no emotions while working, but this time I couldn’t help but crack a smile and embrace the kids, coaches and fans after such an amazing game.
I like to think I play a small role in these young athletes lives during the time they spend at San Benito High. Not the same way as coaches and teachers do, but maybe 20 years down the road they can open up the scrapbooks their moms made, look at a picture I took of them and remember that night they won the big game.
