Football

Cassville, Football and Sportsmanship

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

I made a comment previously on the bad language of some Cassville fans I was standing around at the Kansas City Ohara vs. Cassville game on Saturday November 21.  That was only a few which I heard.  I cannot stand hearing intelligent people use vocabulary which “would make a sailor blush”.  What purpose does it serve?  And especially toward the officials who judge the plays.

I write this post only to brag about our fans and the boys of the Cassville Football team.  Earlier this week the school received an email from a mother of one of the Ohara players who commended the community of Cassville and her people for the welcome, making them feel right at home; and she was almost overcome by the “sportsmanship” that was displayed by our boys.  We saw the display of sportsmanship in the championship game in St. Louis as well.

Thanks to the mom who sent the email.  May God bless you and your team at Ohara.

A statement was made that “… it was unseen where they were from”.  It has been seen time and again one of our players reaching down a hand to help the opposing team player from the ground to his feet.

On the day our boys returned to town it was like a parade through the town when those charter buses came down main street, people were standing along the street cheering, shouting; horns from the cars were blaring, Police cars had their sirens screaming, along with the Sheriffs department, the Fire Department, Ambulance, State Highway patrol, was not to be outdone either.

It is great to see such a wonderful fan base for our football team.

You can see it on  you tube. It is quite the site to behold.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Cassville Wins State For The Second Time

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

On Saturday November 28 the Cassville Wildcats won the Class 3A State Championship in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome.

The Bowling Green team pushed for the first TD of the game making it 7-0, but it did not stay that way for long.

The final score was Cassville 24  Bowling Green 7

I believe there were more from the Cassville area there than there was last year.  Great fans of the Wildcats.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Cassville – To State In 2009

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

The title above is correct.  The team pulled off the win against Kansas City Ohara with a 23-7 victory.  The Ohara team fought hard and it was a great game.

At half time the score was 10 – 7 with Cassville only taking the lead moments before the half.  Ohara was putting up a vicious defense; and the Cassville boys were struggling hard to get toward the Ohara goal.  I believe the field goal attempt and success was made from near the 35 yard line.

In the second half the game the Wildcats passed for a touchdown, it was caught but ruled out and incomplete, to the disappointment of many Wildcat fans.  I think many adult fans at High School and other sports events need to learn to be better sportsmen about rulings by the officials.  The language practically made me not want to be there.  It was like I had fallen into the language sewer or something.  Can we not be passionate about the sport, whatever sport it is, without the bad language?

Cassville did pull off the win with two more touchdowns in the second half of the game, missing one extra point attempt, then continuing to hold the Ohara Celtics from any more touchdowns.

The Ohara Celtics have nothing to be ashamed of.  They played hard, and gave Cassville great competition.  They had the fans of Cassville somewhat worried; especially at the end of that first half.

Next week the team will be going to State Championship game in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. and will play Bowling Green for the 3A State Championship.

It has been another great football season for the Cassville Wildcats Football team.  Keep up the good work.

GO WILDCATS GO!!!

-Tim A. Blankenship

I make no claims to being a writer of any kind; little lone a sports writer.

Cassville Football Team – Again

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

On Saturday November 14 Cassville’s Football team played Rogersville team and defeated them 21 – 20.  Rogersville was a great team to play, and put up a good fight as you can tell by the score.

Now Cassville goes on the the simi finals, and then God willing to State championships in St. Louis.

I am thrilled to see the Cassville Wildcats doing so well.

Go Wildcats.  All the way to State Championship for 2009.

-Tim A. Blankenship

More Of Cassville’s Football Team

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

I have had the privilege of attending two home games of our High School football team this football season.  The first home game was against Branson, and we lost.  I don’t even remember the score.

The second game I watched was against Monett, and to the best of my remembrance we won by quite a margin, again I don’t remember the score.  Many of Cassville’s scores have been runaways.

The team has had a 8 – 1 season with the only lost game to Branson.  Our team are the District champs and they played hard to get it.

The last two games have been play off games.  The first against Aurora High School and the score was something like 56 – 14.  Last night our team played Seneca High School and won 17 – 7.

It looks as though they are on their way to State Championship once again.  That would truly be a first for Cassville Schools in the Southwest corner of the State of Missouri.

GO CASSVILLE WILDCATS. GO!  BACK TO THE DOME.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Fearful Salvation

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“…But others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” Jude 23 (NKJV).

There are many still being led astray by apostate teachers and their heretical teachings. We are to preach the gospel, pure and simple, that they may possibly hear, believe, and come out of the bondage of heresy.

Those who warn them, teaching them the truth of the gospel, and whole counsel of the word of God, must also do so with “fear”. We must guard our own hearts. Those who warn others of these teachings, are also hearing the lies, deceitful words, and acts; and if we don’t stand on the truth of the Word of God could be enticed by such easy hearing words.

Many of these apostate teachers and preachers are very charismatic, and possess a dynamic preaching and teaching style. They are easy to listen to. They would also be very easy to follow. That is why we as Christians must guard against what comes easy to us. Let me give an example or two. 1. It is easier to lie than to tell the truth; 2. It is easier to stay at home on Sunday than to be faithful in your attendance of worshipping the Lord; 3. It is easier to keep your money than to tithe, or put an offering in the plate as it passes in front of you; there are three. Let me give you another one; for a husband, it is easier to attend that football game, or baseball game with the guys, than to stay at home and help your wife with cleaning the house.

I only share those things to remind you that we are all prone to do the easy things, and listen to the easy; going along to get along message, which makes us feel good about ourselves, and others. Preachers, who are called of God to preach were not called to please men or women, but to preach the Word of God, and to preach it in the power of His glory and His cross; no matter who it offends. It is better to please God and displease men, than it is to please men, and displease God. There is more to this life than comfort, and ease.

“Save with fear…” is words of wisdom coming from Jude, and it is the wisdom of the Spirit of God. It is by the study, reading, prayer, and the living of the Word of God in personal life that we can stand against the flashy, easy, dynamic, charismatic, and false teaching of the apostate teachers. This is not just for the preacher, pastor, or teacher. It is for all Christians to hear, and take heed to yourselves.

The message of the Bible is the message of Jesus. It is about His death on the cross – and the shedding of His blood; His burial and carrying our sins away, our sin debt paid to the Father in full; and His resurrection proving and assuring us that everything Jesus said of Himself, and the Father is true; and by His resurrection we have the assurance that when He said, “I will come again”, that He will indeed come again.

Snatch them from the burning fire of lying deceptions, and apostate teachers; and guard yourselves with “fear”, ie., considering yourself (Galations 6:1).

-Tim A. Blankenship

Cassville’s Football Team – Two

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

On Saturday November 22 Cassville’s High School Football Team defeated  13 – 0 Chilicothe, and won the chance for State Championship.

On Friday November 28 six School Bus drivers, on three School Buses began a journey to St. Louis to the Edward Jones Dome – the home of the Rams – with the High School band in two buses and cheering fans in one bus.  The players, cheerleaders, and several others went to St. Louis on Charter buses, and spent Thanksgiving night in St. Louis, MO.  This was an event that had the  small town of Cassville really excited, and people volunteered to pay for these charters to send the boys.  They also made a little of it back with two other charters for Cassville to buy a seat for 35 dollars, which covered their admission into the games; at least that is what I was told.

In a car you can make the trip to St. Louis in about 4.5 hours.  In a School Bus hauling kids it is more like 5 to 6 hours.  I think the trip home was about 7 hours due to stopping to eat, fueling the buses and a stop to relieve ourselves one time.

Our Cassville team played a team from the Cardinal Ritter School near St. Louis.  According to some reports from sports people, Cassville didn’t have a chance.  Cassville was going to get stomped.  None of those things were to be.  I won’t even try to give you all the details of the game, or a play by play, but it was Cassville who made the first touchdown, and it was Cassville who made the final touchdown with extra points; winning the game with a 31 – 7 lead.

Like I have said a few times; I am no sports fan, but I can get into a good High School Football game now and then and I especially like those Cassville Wildcats from Cassville, Missouri.  It may partly be because Cassville is my Alma Mater.  I graduated from there in 1972, and nothing like this has happened before.

Those students we hauled to the game didn’t get back to Cassville until 3:00 a.m.  It was a long night, and day. 

The Wildcats are now the Class 3A Champions in the State of Missouri.

GO CASSVILLE WILDCATS!!! 

Tim A. Blankenship

Cassville’s Football Team

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Generally, I do not write a post like this one on Fire and Hammer, but this was something I had to share.  As many of you know I am not a huge sports fan, rarely attending any sports event unless I drive a school bus delivering the school atheletes to their destination.

Our Cassville High School football team has had an excellent year, however, and I want to share that with you.  Our team had a 10 – 2 year in their conference.  They have been in play off games for the past two Saturdays or so, and have won the games.  It came down to the final play off game between Cassville and Chilicothe; and Chilicothe had a 13 – 0 season, not losing a single game.  The big game that determines State Champions will be Friday November 28 in Saint Louis in the Jones Dome.

I guess I am just about like every other guy, I like to see winners, and I have know our boys on the team were winners I just haven’t gone to any other game this year, but I went Saturday, and was glad that I did.  I had planned on listening on the radio, but saw how beautiful a day it was going to be and decided that if my older son Timothy, who was out deer hunting at the time, wanted to go then I would go too.  Sarah, his wife called him on his cell and asked if he would like to go.  He wanted to, and he came in early due to the cold, and we decided to go a little early, get lunch, then go to the game; hopefully to find a seat by going early.  HA! HA!  When we arrived to the stadium in Cassville, there was not a seat to be found.  This was at 1 p.m. and the game didn’t start until 1:30.

So, we stood along the railing with probably more than a hundred others, until the game started, during the game, and until the game was over.  It was one of the best; if not the best football game I ever watched.  These teams were very evenly matched.  It seemed that Chilicothe was getting more yardage, but would be stopped in crucial moments for Cassville.

Cassville led at the close of the first half 14 – 7.  In the third quarter Chilicothe came back and got a touchdown.  On the extra point attempt the ball went high, and it seemed to me that a gust of wind caught that ball and sent it to the left of the left field goal post, coming up short and to the left and no point.  The score at that point was 14 – 13, Cassville in the lead.  Cassville gained no other points, nor did Chilicothe.

In the last minute of the game Chilicothe was attempting a touchdown with a few short yards to the goal.  The quarterback made a pass, and Cassville intercepted, and they kneeled with the ball, until the clock ran out.  Cassville won 14 – 13.  They go to Saint Louis on Friday.  It is a first in the history of Cassville Schools.

I don’t know if God intervenes in football to help one team win over another or not, but it almost appeared that way to me.  I don’t believe in coincidences.  I do believe in God through His Son Jesus Christ.  I know He rules in the events of men.

GO CASSVILLE WILDCATS!!!

-Tim A. Blankenship