Fight for playoff positions becomes a form of shadow boxing
The journey.
For many years, “journey” was an adjective coaches used to replace “season.”
“The season isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. It’s a journey,” was the context. In other words, it’s a long process.
It isn’t that season is a bad word, but it doesn’t carry the same connotations as journey.
Season sounds like a boring, hair-pulling grind that seems to last forever. It’s the image of working in the same job at the same place for 35 ½ years.
But journey, that’s adventurous and romantic. We’re going places. We’re seeing things. We Are Fam-a-lee.
In sports, “the journey” was the roadmap leading to the final destination — the playoffs.
Washington County football Week 6: Hubs outlast Williamsport in 2OT; Leopards, Rebels and Warriors also win
Each game was considered a checkpoint. The main objectives were to improve and win to earn points to qualify for the postseason. Wins add value to learning, experiencing and gaining knowledge.
These days, it’s different. As discussed previously, no one has to work to earn the right to play in the postseason.
It’s no longer an earned privilege. It’s become a birthright.
So, what is this journey we speak of now? What has it become?
Maybe it’s now become more of a “connect-the-dots project” to create a big picture.
Suddenly, each game, situation and even single plays really have become a roadblock or an express pass to the playoffs.
In the same token, it’s not life or death. It’s not like it will prevent anyone from playing for a state championship.
Coaches still look for improvement, but it doesn’t seem to carry the same urgency. There’s a point where everyone knows the difference between teams with championship aspirations and those just happy to be involved.
Wins are more about putting players in the right frame of mind to actually enjoy this so-called journey.
One example was Week 6 of Washington County football. The other sports have similar situations, but football is my assigned Petri dish.
On the surface, this week was the great equalizer.
Williamsport and Saint James lost, bringing each back to the pack.
North Hagerstown, South Hagerstown, Boonsboro and Smithsburg each won, creating that welcoming pack.
Suddenly, the Hubs, Rebels, Warriors and Leopards are all feeling pretty good about themselves. The playoffs are more inviting.
The Wildcats might have issues. And the Saints, they aren’t in the Maryland state playoff chase, but their hopes to repeat as Mid-Atlantic Conference champs have taken a serious hit.
That’s four teams feeling optimistic, two stewing with doubt and two others — Clear Spring and Hancock — looking for any joy at 0-6.
Fortunes, for some, changed with one snap of the ball.
At Callas Stadium, the journey hit a detour when Williamsport quarterback Eli Fleming left the game with an injury.
Williamsport, still carrying the county’s best record at 4-2, and North, just getting back to 3-3, seemingly switched the pedigrees of top dog and underdog on Friday with that decisive play.
Smithsburg’s formula to find the playoff route was to go to the basics against Clear Spring. Running between the tackles gave the Leopards instant confidence in a 20-0 victory.
Boonsboro found its running game, a trademark that had been missing for most of this journey, in a win over Towson. The Warriors were in a similar position last year and used Towson to turn everything around as a playoff springboard.
South played its most complete game of the year in a victory over Thomas Johnson, a school that has been struggling all season. The Rebels will have a better disposition heading into the final third of Journey 2022 in the rugged Class 3A West.
The road ahead for each of these teams could change in the drop of a helmet. One play, one miscue, one injury or one lag in execution has already proven to be enough to change fortunes.
Coaches, thanks in part to the updated objective of a season, always keep their team’s eyes focused on the horizon.
The playoffs are always the destination.
But these days the events that happen in Week 6, 7 or 8 of a season may well change any expectations in the bark of an audible.
Each small step becomes vital for a satisfying end to “The Journey.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Parasiliti: Playoffs are final destination, but weekly steps pave way
