Just another football game last tonight,
TMI vs Giddings State. I knew
TMI had made the playoffs, but I didn't know much about Giddings, Texas, just that it was a small town outside of Austin, Texas. So I shoot the game, and even with the one-sided win by TMI I get some good action. Great thing about sports, it doesn't matter what the score is, there's always great action to be captured. Strong runs by both teams, some good shots of the line, something I always struggle to get.
As a photographer I just shoot the game; charged up players, pretty cheerleaders, color guard full of honor and purpose, but something kept bothering me when looking at the players when they are shaking hands at the end of the game. So polite, but reserved. Even on the field, in the
middle of the mosh pit after a tackle, where only a 300mm lens can take you, I wasn't seeing some of the secondary aggressiveness I've seen at other high school games. I didn't think much of it, other than there were a few guys there I'd love to do portraits of, but not likely to happen.
Did you know there are two high schools in Giddings? The Giddings Buffaloes and the
Giddings Indians. To play for the Indians it takes more than tryouts and good grades. Want to know more? Read this story by John Ed Bradley in
Sports Illustrated (1997), his eloquence will put the photos you see
here in greater perspective.
