I was thinking back to the first high school football team I covered as a reporter.
I was a college student, covering games for the Los Angeles Times. On the sideline, I had a clipboard, stat sheet and a pencil. That was it.
Fast forward to Friday night at Kiggins Bowl. Up in my spot in the press box, I had my computer, WIFI modem, binoculars (I’m old and the Kiggins Bowl press box is high), a digital camcorder sitting on a tripod, a smartphone, a stat sheet and two colored pens.
Sometimes I feel like it would be helpful to have eight arms like some kind of Hindu deity.
I’m posting pictures on Instagram while tweeting updates on Twitter as I updated our Friday football live chat while getting video of almost every play, all while keeping stats on the game.
This is how you cover high school football in 2015.
And not just football, but other prep sports as well.
It’s all about covering prep events from every angle.
We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. I just remembered we started a Tumblr account last spring. And if I could get my daughter to help me with Snapchat, we could add that too.
Heck, maybe even live stream an event on Periscope.
And options are endless, even if my number of hands is not.
You can check my attempt to cover the Heritage-Hudson’s Bay football game through video.
Sports editor Micah Rice posted a video from the Woodland-La Center game. And, on the same day, he also covered the Hudson’s Bay Run-A-Ree cross country meet.
Here’s some the events we’ll keep an eye, or even a camera lens, on this week:
BOYS TENNIS: League matches begin Monday in the 4A Greater St. Helens League. Washougal, Columbia River, Fort Vancouver and Prairie will compete the Hudson’s Bay Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Bay and Clark College.
BOYS GOLF: The top golfers from 19 varsity teams in Southwest Washington will take part in the Jeff Hudson Invitational at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Tri-Mountain Golf Course. This is the third year the former Thunder Invite will played under the name to honor the late Mountain View golf coach who founded this event.
GIRLS SWIMMING: Every high school swim program in Southwest Washington will take part in the Mark Morris Sprint Pentathlon on Saturday in Longview. This event includes the ever-popular 25-yard individual medley.
CROSS COUNTRY: The first league meets of the season in the 4A GSHL will be Tuesday. The 2A GSHL and Trico League hold meets on Wednesday.
FOOTBALL: League opens in the 4A and 2A GSHLs. Some very interesting matchups in the 4A GSHL: Union-Mountain View, Skyview-Battle Ground and Evergreen-Heritage.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart.
