One takeaway from Wednesday’s game was the Red Devils did not emote enough. After any mildly contentious moment, Neosho players flopped to the ground, belting a scream and grabbing shins in apparent agony. Once the call went Neosho’s way, like magic, players miraculously leapt to their feet.
It made for the perfect sports column. Allen lost because they did not cry and roll on the ground enough. I thought of sourcing the Allen Community College theater department, who may even offer a few tips on how to work outdoor performances.
It would have been great, but no. A few players — potentially players from Allen’s junior varsity soccer team — had to ruin it all by starting a scuffle with Neosho players after the game. As I told ACC Athletic Director Doug Desmarteau, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give the brawl a 2.
Punches were thrown, but this was a soccer game. Soccer players should not throw punches for the same reason tyrannosauruses should not enter pull-up contests. It’s out of their wheelhouse. Soccer, at a high level, is like watching human chess — moves within moves and strategies within strategies refined over hundreds of years.
More than anything, though, it’s a shame. Wednesday’s brawl hurts one of the only representations of soccer in Allen County.
As a sports reporter, I often remind myself I cover kids playing games. Allen students are just an extension of that — young adults playing games.
This isn’t the pros, and they don’t represent billion-dollar corporations, but Allen is an institution dating back over a hundred years.
The students involved Wednesday are aware of Allen’s tradition and what it represents to this community. They just got caught up in the moment.
How many times can anyone reading this attribute their worst moments to the same thing?
I remember college-age Jimmy, and he was a moron. College students deserve leeway, but traditions only stand the test of time when they’re held in high regard.
