It’s not a surprise for me to inform you that tomorrow’s high school football match-up between the Hillgrove Hawks and the McEachern Indians will be a game of high anticipation and intensity.

This rivalry could be like LSU-Alabama, but who’s really comparing?

You know we’ll be there! Live on the sidelines just shy of 8 p.m. for another show of “Football Friday’s in Georgia.” You guys ready for this? On your mark, get set… Go!

Last week we traveled to both schools to check it out. Working in sports and in television keeps you either in a truck, on a field or in an edit bay. Last Thursday we did all three in one day, no big deal.

We took a visit to McEachern High School and went on a tour with athletic director Jim Dorsey (a.k.a. “the winningest coach of Cobb County”) of the new athletics facility. All I can say about that is: WOW. It’s breathtaking. It made me think of my high school experience. What would I be like now if I’d gone to a school as big and as well renowned as this? The students of McEachern better appreciate it there!

The tour concluded after about two hours and the GPB staff was treated with class, kindness and respect. We packed up the cameras and crew, and then headed over to Hillgrove High to watch the fifteen-minute, no-pad practice.

It was really awesome to meet #17, RB Kenyan Drake who’s heading to play for Alabama after this year. This guy is definitely a threat; McEachern’s biggest but also their ONLY concern in this game. Drake is a very versatile player, but coach Ironside keeps him on offense.

On the other side of the turf, McEachern’s got QB Trent Thompson who’s committed to Georgia State University to continue playing in Atlanta for the very well respected Atlanta-native Coach Bill Curry. I don’t know who takes credit for this kid, but he is a man of tremendous character and leadership, much, much like Coach Curry and this is only the beginning for him.

Practice was over in no time and we pilled up the van to head back to the station and start to piece together all the information we inherited from the day. My workday was so close to being over until….

First let me say, I’ve quickly learned that when you work in TV everyone talks to everyone through an earpiece, a.k.a. an IFB. This little dandy thing informs me when I’m supposed to start talking to you guys, or when I’m supposed to wrap it up and shut my mouth!

Well I’ve been using a generic one (gross, I know, but I sanitize). After a long day, I came back to the office to find some clear/gray goopy stuff in a little container on my desk and before I could even blink, our producer Sammy Jones was cramming it down my ear! Talk about violated.

Thanks to his services and the GPB staff I had the awkward experience of getting my own personal IFB. How will I ever re-pay you guys? This is what we call, “a day in the life” at GPB.

It was certainly another unique and interesting end to an informative and productive day. Another successful workday in sports at GPB? Check!