The intersection of ‘achieving goals’ and ‘it was meant to be’ can be a very precarious crossroad. There are no traffic lights, yield signs, or uniformed sentries to guide you through the turmoil safely. The decisions to speed up, slow down, or turn around and plan the journey for another day are instantaneous. If you guess wrong, the resulting devastation can leave your personal landscape littered with ‘what ifs’ for years to come.

In sports, just as in life, things always don’t work out as you had planned.

On November’s first Friday evening, the District IV high school football playoffs kicked off with much jubilation and anticipation for six county teams. Williamsport, South Williamsport, Muncy, Montgomery and Loyalsock all had earned home games and high seeds in the playoff format. Jersey Shore had qualified for the postseason party but had to hit the road to face perennial playoff foe Selinsgrove. All but Shore were pregame picks to emerge victorious. But for two-thirds of the sextet, that above mentioned intersection was littered with unanticipated debris.

While not present for the disappointments encountered by the Millionaires, Indians, and Bulldogs the scene unfolding below me from my South Williamsport Rodney K. Morgans press box perch caused me to linger much longer than usual to take in what I was watching. The weatherman had issued no warnings, but a Red Tornado, emanating from Mt. Carmel, descended upon the Mountaineers hallowed Pit with a persistent ground attack that beat the home team at their own game and ended what had been a most successful 9-1 regular season achievement.

Seemingly all high school football games end with the same scene; family members and friends descend upon the playing field to embrace and converse with the teenage gladiators who have provided another Friday evening of community gatherings. Most times, for successful teams that earn a playoff invitation those occurrences are filled with smiles, laughter, and pats on the back. But on this night, as the victorious visitors celebrated on the eastern end of the field, the reality of what had just occurred was overtaking the home team’s assembly at the other end.

Oh, the hugs and pats on the back were still there but for the eleven South Williamsport seniors who would be taking off those muddied blue & white jerseys for the last time – this was not the way they envisioned their season to come to an end. Indeed, those Millionaires, Indians, and Bulldog players were all going through the same range of emotions as November 3 marked the end of the 2017 road.

As heartbreaking as South’s 28-14 defeat and Jersey Shore’s 14-7 setback were, they didn’t share the same last-second drama that doomed Williamsport and Muncy.

Williamsport had defeated Hazelton during the regular season but found itself on the short end of a 21-0 first-half deficit. Steadfastly, they pulled to within 28-27 on a Joe Fagnano touchdown with 1:06 remaining in the game. Then came the unthinkable ending, when the Cougars blocked the extra point attempt to doom the Cherry & White. Coach Chuck Crews summed it up for the WHS faithful by saying, “You can lose in so many ways, but a blocked extra point?”

Muncy’s Indians may have the same feelings when it comes to extra points. District Four’s number one Class A seed saw their dream of a district title end when Wyalusing rammed itself back from a 21-14 hole to stun the Indians with a successful two-point conversion with :36 left in the game. For Shore, their season ended when Selinsgrove intercepted a Bulldog pass with 2:00 left to play.

Those post-game gatherings at Loyalsock and Montgomery were much more joyous as both teams advanced to District Four championship games last weekend. Loyalsock stole some of the basketball team’s ‘Lancer Lightning’, putting up 28 third-quarter points on just four offensive touches to climb out of a 17-point hole to defeat Lewisburg. Montgomery dominated Bucktail’s determined 15-player roster 47-6 and became Lycoming County’s only team to host a District title game.

To the west, Penn State still has games to play but the State College weather may have indeed been affected by all the air emerging from the bursting bubble from what had been a hoped-for Final Four appearance by the Franklinites.

On a lighter note, I must pass on what was the most unique potty break ever experienced in my sports watching career. While attending the recent Lehigh/Bucknell game, a most entertaining Lehigh pep band was on hand to support their team. In making my way to the restroom at halftime, I was surprised to see a Lehigh tuba-playing member enter the bathroom ahead of me. As I entered the room, there was the entire 20-some member pep band (some females included) loudly serenading surprised patrons. Working my way between a trombone player and a drummer, the mission was accomplished with a whole lot of fanfare.

You gotta love college enthusiasm. And you can’t make this stuff up!