First, the Bad News: Rolla High School’s football team has yet to win a game this season. Their record so far is 0 wins, 6 losses. I can only imagine the pain the team feels at this turn out of their season thus far. Practices since August, some players lifting weights all summer in preparation to play well, and no wins to show for all of their hard work. My husband knows this kind of pain and disappointment. When we were seniors at Defiance Highschool in Defiance, Ohio,( ironically our highschool was also the home of the Bulldogs, just like at Rolla High.) The football team went 0-10 for the 1982-83 school year. I was thinking about that football season driving home after Rolla’s latest loss last Friday night. I asked my husband if any lessons were learned from that experience and he said,” Yeah, how to lose!” 
Despite the disappointing football season, I have noticed a remarkable phenomena. The home games have been packed. Parents of the players, friends, relatives, fellow RHS students, all decked out in maroon and white t-shirts, or now, jackets as the temps are getting cooler at night, fill up the stadium. One would think that with the record that has been amassed so far, the stadium would only have the visiting teams fans sitting there and crickets chirping where the Rolla folks sit. But surprisingly, and in a moving way, the Rolla faithful have turned out for every home game and pack that stadium. 
Any lessons that can be learned from all of this? The main lesson I can see is that no matter how disagreeable or disappointing an event can be, if one has signed up to take a part in that event, one must soldier on and do one’s best. Don’t run away from one’s responsibility. The coaches and players committed to having a football team this school year, and must keep on trying. Life is hard and full of bumps along the way, and learning to survive and persevere, well it is better to learn it on a football field at the ages of 14-18 then to have to learn it at the age of 30. Despite the losing Defiance High football team in 1982-83 school year, that same program went on to win the state championship in Ohio for AA schools in 1997.
Now for some Good News: This Saturday, Oct. 19, beginning at 2:00 pm is the Route 66 Marching Band Festival. Rolla High’s Marching Bulldog Brigade is hosting this event at the football stadium. 12 area high school bands will be marching and performing their absolute best marching, musical shows. The bands attending are from the following towns: Eureka, Fulton, Hermann, Houston, Owensville, Salem, School of Osage, St. James, Warsaw, Washington, Waynesville, and Union. With Rolla having a new, artificial turf football field installed this summer, this Route 66 Marching Band Festival can once again be held. For a wonderful afternoon and early evening full of bands doing what they do best, be sure to attend the Route 66 Marching Band Festival! 
portraitsbyjenni 
15 Oct
The Good, the Bad, but not the Ugly
Posted by jennifromrollamo in Social Commentary. Tagged: Eureka, Fulton, Hermann, Houston, Owensville, Rolla High School, Salem, School of Osage, St. James, Union, Warsaw, Washington, Waynesville. Leave a comment
First, the Bad News: Rolla High School’s football team has yet to win a game this season. Their record so far is 0 wins, 6 losses. I can only imagine the pain the team feels at this turn out of their season thus far. Practices since August, some players lifting weights all summer in preparation to play well, and no wins to show for all of their hard work. My husband knows this kind of pain and disappointment. When we were seniors at Defiance Highschool in Defiance, Ohio,( ironically our highschool was also the home of the Bulldogs, just like at Rolla High.) The football team went 0-10 for the 1982-83 school year. I was thinking about that football season driving home after Rolla’s latest loss last Friday night. I asked my husband if any lessons were learned from that experience and he said,” Yeah, how to lose!”
Despite the disappointing football season, I have noticed a remarkable phenomena. The home games have been packed. Parents of the players, friends, relatives, fellow RHS students, all decked out in maroon and white t-shirts, or now, jackets as the temps are getting cooler at night, fill up the stadium. One would think that with the record that has been amassed so far, the stadium would only have the visiting teams fans sitting there and crickets chirping where the Rolla folks sit. But surprisingly, and in a moving way, the Rolla faithful have turned out for every home game and pack that stadium.
Any lessons that can be learned from all of this? The main lesson I can see is that no matter how disagreeable or disappointing an event can be, if one has signed up to take a part in that event, one must soldier on and do one’s best. Don’t run away from one’s responsibility. The coaches and players committed to having a football team this school year, and must keep on trying. Life is hard and full of bumps along the way, and learning to survive and persevere, well it is better to learn it on a football field at the ages of 14-18 then to have to learn it at the age of 30. Despite the losing Defiance High football team in 1982-83 school year, that same program went on to win the state championship in Ohio for AA schools in 1997.
Now for some Good News: This Saturday, Oct. 19, beginning at 2:00 pm is the Route 66 Marching Band Festival. Rolla High’s Marching Bulldog Brigade is hosting this event at the football stadium. 12 area high school bands will be marching and performing their absolute best marching, musical shows. The bands attending are from the following towns: Eureka, Fulton, Hermann, Houston, Owensville, Salem, School of Osage, St. James, Warsaw, Washington, Waynesville, and Union. With Rolla having a new, artificial turf football field installed this summer, this Route 66 Marching Band Festival can once again be held. For a wonderful afternoon and early evening full of bands doing what they do best, be sure to attend the Route 66 Marching Band Festival!