One of the things I was most excited about when I first took my job at the Sun-Star were the stories of old Mayor's Cup and Santa Fe Bowl showdowns. Upwards of eight thousand people, basically one tenth of Merced's population, turning out to support their high school football teams. It's an atmosphere that few outside of Texas will ever see or experience. Unfortunately, since I've been at the paper, there's been a bit of a dry spell in these historically epic matchups and attendance has suffered accordingly. Still, I had expected to see something of their ilk at last week's Sac-Joaquin Section Division II opening-round playoff game for Buhach Colony. I was sorely disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the BC faithful turned in a solid showing. It's not like the players could here the crickets chirping in the background or anything, but solid is all it was. Considering the Thunder had the only home playoff game in the surrounding area, I thought the bulk of Atwater would be in attendance, not to mention the football fans from the outlying areas. Nothing sets the tone for a playoff football game like the atmosphere. A raucous crowd can elevate a good game to the stuff of legend. Solid as Buhach's crowd was last week, the 50 or so parents and fans that traveled with Bethel actually made more noise at times. The players deserve better. At 11-0, Buhach Colony is making history every time it takes the field now. Hopefully, as it navigates deeper into the playoffs, it will be rewarded by a growing fan base.
