Year 33 of covering high school football started on Friday. Doesn't seem

like it has been that long.

I managed to stay on the sidelines the entire game at Danville's Whitesell Field. It's a personal preference and one I've accomplished in all but three games I've covered during the decades. The others were in

rainstorms, like we had this week, but those previous games at Decatur

Eisenhower, Bloomington and Centennial had such driving rains and winds it was impossible to keep track of anything from the sidelines.

While I listened to the Danville P.A. announcer on Friday, when the Vikings beat Urbana 21-0, I was reminded why I'd rather be close to the action. When you're upstairs, it's almost impossible to accurately chart

the down and distances on every play. A yard here or there can be significant when you compile stats at game's end.

It's hard to judge how the Vikings and Tigers will fare this year based on the sloppy conditions of the opener. At halftime, the teams had combined for almost as many yards in penalties (75) as total offense (81). There's talent at each school and it should shine through in future weeks.

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