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In this COVID- ridden season which has forced states to postpone football until January, Mick's sophomore year came to a conclusion Thursday night on a crisp evening as his Veterans Memorial Chargers fell to the Donna Redskins, 16-7. They finished with a 2-5 record. They could have finished with a 5-2 season, but crucial mistakes and falling short in the clutch cost them three victories. My son's final game embodied this reality.

Trailing 13-6 with twelve seconds left in the half, the Chargers' punter, deep in his own territory, fumbled the snap followed by a block that gave the Redskins the ball on the five with two seconds on the clock. They kicked a field goal to increase their lead to 16-7.

With five minutes remaining in the game and the ball at midfield, the Chargers gambled on a fourth-and-seven. Michael lined up in the slot, which is midway between the offensive line and the outside receiver. He ran a wheel route. He starts ten yards down the field, cuts to the sidelines and then turns it upfield. He could have walked into the end zone, but the pass slipped through his outstretched fingers and fell to the turf.

In an world of eternal "ifs" highlighted by sports being a game of inches, a normal punt and a Mick catch would have given Vets a 14-13 victory. But that's not the way the football bounces. The season was an amazing experience for Mick. As a sophomore he led the team in catches, yards and TDs among the receivers. He returned kickoffs and took hits the likes he has never sustained in his life. And he leapt to his feet eager for more.

He has natural talents, fast feet and great hands for starters, but how bad does he want it? He begins with a personal trainer Monday whose body speaks for itself. As hard as it is for me to believe, Mick will be a junior next year. He dreams of playing college football, so the next two years are decisive if he is going to realize his goal. I will do everything on my part to help him, but he is a big boy now, just short of being a man, so there's not much Daddy can do but shell out the cash.

I didn't miss any of Mick's two scrimmages or seven games. When a team isn't playing to expectations, the buck stops with the coaches. This is a veteran staff. They have had success at Vets and at other schools prior to their arrivals with the Chargers. Beyond their experience, they are caring persons who are passionate about their players. I was a longtime athlete and coach and I know something about the frustration Mick felt as the pass slipped through his hands and something of the disappointments the coaches experienced as wins ended in losses.

During my 39-year stint in the BISD, I made a name for myself by coaching Porter boys soccer to several district titles and an appearance in the state finals. I was the first head girls soccer coach at Rivera, but I resigned after one solid season in order to coach the boys' junior varsity and freshmen teams. I didn't like the pressure and responsibility of being a varsity head coach. During that time the Raiders went to three state finals and triumphed as Texas first 6A champs in 2015. I have told colleagues that in order to be a good assistant coach, you have to have been a good head coach.

But my assignments weren't limited to soccer. I coached football at both Porter and Rivera and I finished my coaching career my last two years with the tennis program. I could write a memoir about coaching I had so many experiences, most of them positive, but there were difficult moments with players, parents, teachers and administrators at your throat for the slightest reason. This is one of a thousand tales, but we were in Harlingen for a game when my second-string goalie had a temper tantrum because he wasn't starting. He left the field and walked home. I spent the next 12 hours trying to track him down for fear of the repercussions that might befall me for his immature behavior.

Coaching is tough. Dealing with so many different personalities in a competitive setting in which your failures appear on The Brownsville Herald's sports section's front pages requires all one's skills and talents. You have kids quit on you for no apparent reason. It is a constant juggling act with so many UIL rules and local regulations that you're constantly looking over your shoulder. You would think there would be a brotherhood with an unspoken code among coaches, but your worst enemies are fellow coaches who are as bad as Trump trying to steal the presidency. They will search for a technicality posted in small print and report you in order to have a loss metamorphose into a win based on a forfeiture.

For the last two years I have been looking over the shoulders of the Vets football and track coaches since Mick is also a sprinter. They are true gentlemen. As aficionados we naturally second-guess coaches, but they are professionals and it is their call. What is the difference between a 5-2 and 2-5 season? The greatest coaches can't affect an outcome if their squad doesn't execute properly and their opponents do. That's the bottom line. No differently than athletes putting their faith in their coaches, coaches put their faith in their athletes with a hope honed on the practice field that the latter will rise to the occasion.

I can't wait for next year!!!