You hate to get that close ...

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

No amount of hugs, praise from coaches and respect from the opponent could lift the sagging shoulders and dropped heads. The uniforms, caked in mud and stained by grass, were being washed in a river of tears.

Dorsey (9-4) had played Carson (11-2) to a near standstill in their City Championship Division semifinal Friday, bending to the running thunder of Colts senior Jack Sula, but breaking only once -- giving up a first quarter touchdown. But the Dons, no matter what they tried, could not get into the end zone and saw their season end with a 6-0 loss.

‘[A championship] was something we hoped we could do,’ Coach Paul Knox said afterward. ‘But I’m really proud of our team and how far they came. We staggered around a bit at the beginning of the year, but then we got it going. And tonight they played their behinds off the whole game.’

Knox said he would not be haunted by the Dons’ failure to score from the Colt’s one-yard line in the second quarter, but it was obvious it would not be forgotten soon. ‘Even at halftime we said we had not made the best choice of plays to call.... We know we could have made another play down there.’

-- Mike Terry