By “compelled”, I mean that I’ve been asked directly, no less than a half dozen times, “You guys mad that you won’t be the last ones anymore?”, or some form of that question. In the simplest, most direct way possible that I can answer that .. “NO!”

I don’t want to speak for my teammates, and I could have contacted some of them for this article, but I’m very confident that most or ALL of them feel the same way I do about it .. I hope these boys win the District IV championship .. and then I hope they go win a State Championship! 

I’m not sure if people think we’re getting together every year when the boys lose and having toasts to our glory days .. ala the ‘72 Dolphins whenever the last undefeated NFL team loses .. but we are not. Although we SHOULD be getting together when these boys DO win! I can’t think of a better excuse to get together. Hell, most of us are still in the area anyway. Work (covering the Corning/Elmira football game) is the only thing keeping me from personally being present tonight at the game in Towanda. I will be listening .. and rooting for these Warriors.

We’ve been rooting for our Warriors to win EVERY year since we made our run to the State semi-finals 31 years ago. Would it have been even nicer if any of us had more of a link to this squad? Sure! Many of us have watched our own kids come through the program and fall way short. I don’t believe any of us have kids on this year’s team. Our center, George Schoonover, had his youngest boy just miss out, as Joel graduated last year. There are nephews, but I’m honestly ignorant if there are any kids of our teammates playing now. Please someone correct me if I’m wrong. Because I do think that would be very special. 

But to anyone wondering, or asking any of my teammates, YES, we are rooting for our Canton Warriors to win a District championship! 

We rooted like hell for them the year after we graduated and they came up just short. A few of our starters were still there .. Boo Perry, Jason Davis, Jason Collister .. and personally, it sucked having to listen to guys I was teammates with at college that were from Southern Columbia giving me crap about it! 

We’ve rooted for them EVERY year since! Again, I don’t want to speak for them, so if you run into any of the guys .. Shawn Machmer, Reeve Mott, Lyle Wesneski, Jeremy Route, Glen Griswold, Jay Foust, Marc Bailey or anyone else.. ask them!  

And I JUST realized that Jay DOES have a son on the team, Connor!  I apologize if I missed any others! 

I would like to wish the Warriors the best of luck. I know I can speak for all of us from that great 1990 season in doing the same. 

In closing .. “chewin tobacca, chewin tobacca, chewin tobacca, SPIT … if you ain’t a Warrior .. "