It’s a wonderful feeling to see your college’s football team ranked No. 1 in the nation. I’m sure USC, ‘Bama, Texas, Ohio State, Miami, etc., etc., know the feeling well.
It’s something that’s never happened in my lifetime. Or ever in the history of Duck football. A bunch of writers actually voted Oregon No. 1 in America.
Oregon. That large expanse of land between Seattle and California. Never known as such a football powerhouse. It is now.
The target on the Ducks’ backs grows bigger. The ranking may not last, as everyone left on the schedule will be looking to trip up No. 1. But it sure does feel good right now.
Now, a moment of the emotion and splendor of high school football. This weekend I covered a city game between two old Phoenix rivals – Maryvale and Trevor Browne. Maryvale won the Pride of the West Side rivalry 35-21.
Afterward, I saw the Browne quarterback, Matt Shurtleff, crying on the bench, so heartbroken he was to lose the rivalry game that he broke down in tears and didn’t join his teammates for the postgame lineup/handshake.
Heck, he’s just a kid. He had a tough game, as Maryvale’s defense was very good and forced him to make some bad throws. But Shurtleff hung in there, and in the end was sad he couldn’t do more. I felt bad for him.
My life of sports and fatherhood 
I am the trevor browne quarterback. Not to be disrespectful to the writer of this article but I do not believe that I made any “bad throws”. Both of the interceptions that I threw were tipped by my recivers and then caught by maryvale defenders.