First Home Game Of The Season

Football is such a popular sport that sports buffs can't seem to have enough of it. The NFL games are on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while Saturdays are for college. Then, you have Fridays for high school. I guess they reserve Tuesdays and Wednesdays for all other sports....

Well, today, Friday, was a big day for Bellarmine football. It's the first home game against #2-ranked Serra Padres. As in all Bell football home games, this one was played at San Jose City College. Being the first home game of the season, there was also a tailgate BBQ for Bell fans, which was held at the patio just outside the stadium. In addition, it was also Alumni Weekend. It surely was a BIG day for Bellarmine sports....football, in particular.

As a freshman parent, this was all new to me, and Jake. We've never watched a Bell football game before, much less an opening home game. The most that we've watched over the years were volleyball matches, none of which were as grand as this.

Driving from Fremont, with me and Jake were Nick and younger brother, Justin. Their dad, Paul, met us at SJSC since he came directly from his office in San Jose. Before coming over, Jake and I had an early dinner since we weren't sure if they sold food at the stadium (they did, actually). We left early in anticipation of rush hour traffic on a Friday. Surprisingly, traffic wasn't that bad, and we arrived early.

The atmosphere was festive. The Bell band was regaling the tailgaters at the patio, while the folks at the Booster Club booth were busy handing out the souvenir caps and programs to pass holders. For us newbies, we were trying to figure out were the entrance to the stadium was.

We secured our seats at the bleachers, as we watched players from both teams warm up on the field. Our bleacher section was a sea of dark blue, with students, parents, alumni, and fans dressed in various Bell apparel and paraphernalia. It was reminiscent of my days at the Ateneo -- fun memories that bring a smile to my face.

After the National Anthem was sung, the starting line up for both teams were announced. Then, it was game time. Honestly, I have never watched a football game live. It's was just a little strange not hearing any commentator giving you the play by play action as you would normally hear on TV or radio. And I thought the time went by so fast. The next thing I knew it was already half time.

At the end of the first half, Serra led 14-7. It wasn't over yet. There was more football to play. From what I saw, it looked like the Bell players weren't as big and strong as their Serra counterparts. This was evident on a few plays when our players had some difficulty tackling the opposing players, and sometimes being dragged a few yards before being taken down.

And the cheering section of Serra? They're boisterous and loud. And I was expecting the same for Bell. But I was a bit disappointed that we weren't as loud, if not louder, since we were playing at home anyway.

Midway through the game, Jake and Nick left the company of their fathers (and sibling) and wondered around, looking for friends to hang around with. They probably think we were too boring. A little while later, Paul, Nick, and Justin left because they had an early engagement to get to the next day, as it was getting late.

In the second half, there were a few exciting plays by Bell, enough get the crowd excited. But it wasn't enough. Serra had a couple of interceptions, and managed to score a field goal. In the end, the final score was 17-7, Serra.

It was a great experience for Jake and I. It certainly won't be our last. I have all the home games on my calendar, and we intend to attend every single one, unless something comes up and are unable to. Now that we've been to one, we know what to expect the next time around.

Go Bells !!!