Extra Point

By Justin Damasiewicz

Week after week I wonder how Montesano High School’s footballers will respond to the challenge of the opponent in front of them.

Each week seems to bring new challenges, and each game the Bulldogs have responded with a convincing win.

They have fought through injuries while facing unbeaten opponents, league MVPs and teams from a higher classification. This team has done nothing but improve each week and give us reasons to believe that they are a special squad.

Last Friday’s 44-6 win over Forks improved the Bulldogs’ season mark to 5-0 and put the first blemish on the Spartans season record.

Going into the game against Forks, Montesano was the third-ranked Class 1A team in the state.

This week is homecoming for the Bulldogs against R. A. Long.

The Class 2A Lumberjacks are 2-3 on the season, 1-2 in Greater St. Helens League play. Their only wins are against winless Mark Morris and a 1-4 Centralia squad whose only win also was against Mark Morris.

Basically, R. A. Long does not have a win over a quality opponent.

The following Friday, Oct. 13, will be the much-anticipated Grays Harbor Red Rivalry game between Montesano and Hoquiam, which has provided us with some tight contests and thrilling conclusions over the last few years. This year, Jack Rottle Field will play host to the heated rivalry.

Honestly, it’s kind of difficult for me not to look past the R. A. Long game and focus on the Grizzlies. Once again, the Red Rivalry game will have a big part in deciding the Evergreen 1A League title.

So instead of breaking down the Bulldogs’ next opponent, I’m going to jot down a few paragraphs about a big disagreement that has come to a head in our little town.

Everybody has heard, or not heard, by now that the ritual of the “cannon” being fired when Montesano scores a touchdown is gone, right?

The school district put the kibosh on the tradition this season when it perceived that the liability risk was too great.

I have to say, first of all, that I don’t believe the school district would make this decision without justification. I don’t think Superintendent Dan Winter or anyone else involved in that choice was sitting around trying to come up with ways they could crush high school students’ team spirit or make Bulldog football fans upset.

I understand that there are strong feelings about the tradition of Montesano football, and it’s one of the reasons I love this town so much, but sometimes we all just need to take a step back and wait to find out the “why” before we get outraged.

I also don’t think the “we need to keep doing it this way because it’s what we’ve always done” argument has much validity. Times change, and the world changes with them. We can only cling to the old ways for so long before changing times will whisk them away. We will drive ourselves insane if we can’t adjust to that.

With that said, I love the cannon tradition. I think it adds a lot of fun and excitement to Bulldog home games and adds to the atmosphere at Rottle Field on Friday nights.

I don’t think complaints from a few residents could or should change this policy. I talked to a lot of people in person and on social media in a completely non-scientific way, and the overwhelming opinion of the community seems to be that residents either like or don’t have a problem with the cannon.

I think if you choose to live in our wonderful little town, you have to accept the fact that there will be a few loud blasts on Fridays four-to-six nights in the fall.

I believe that the representatives from the MHS football booster club will meet with representatives from the school district and we will get the cannon back, and that’s the way it should be. They will figure out a compromise that will allow the tradition to continue, will not put the safety of students on the line and will not present a liability risk for the school district.

I want to say a special thanks to Matt Klinger of the MHS football booster club for caring passionately about the program and going the extra mile to affect change, and to Dan Winter for being open to the opinions of others and diligent in the protection of our children and our schools.

Now let’s get the cannon back next week so we can blast it against the Grizzlies.

Go ’Dogs!