Here, they tell their story.

(Look for cameos from former University of Washington player Isaiah Thomas and Isaiah Stanback of the Seahawks.)

And this is what it looked like from the court line on a 35mm lens. It’s the only place to watch basketball, in my opinion.

Seattle! Sounders!

Sophomore Tanner Brundage looks for his mother’s car on Sept. 16, 2010 outside of Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City, Mo. This was the last time his mother needed to pick him up at the end of the day, as today was his 16th birthday. Immediately after school, he took and passed his driver’s test.

While typical high school boys are involved with the traditional team sports offered by their school, such as football or baseball, Tanner competes in team roping for Missouri High School Rodeo and cowboy mounted shooting with Show Me Mounted Shooters. He began riding horses almost four years ago, and discovered roping after some of his riding friends started lessons with Mark Jobe, a roping instructor in Jefferson City. Many of the teens who compete in Missouri High School Rodeo grew up in rodeo families, but Tanner’s family has only recently been involved. “We’re kinda the rarity,” his mother Kim said. “We’re not the only ones, but most have been doing this forever.”

Tanner waits for his best friend Spenser Epple, 15, to finish putting on his collared shirt – the only dress requirement for this particular rodeo – at a small family rodeo on Saturday, Sept. 11 outside of Vienna, Mo. The boys live across town from each other but see each other regularly in classes at school and at roping practice in Eugene, Mo. every Thursday night.

Gary Kueffer, right, holds tight onto the rope around the calf’s horns while Tanner attempts to catch its heels  during an open team roping session at a small family rodeo on Saturday, Sept. 11 outside of Vienna, Mo. The open event allows combined teams of varying ages, letting teenagers compete with the more seasoned adults. Tanner prefers to compete as a heeler, which he says is the more challenging position in roping. He said that according to Mark Jobe, Tanner’s instructor, “You need to be a better roper for the heels, and a better horseman for the head.”

After spending the afternoon competing about six inches of mud, Tanner takes a hose to clean off the tack on his 12-year old horse, Cochise. His friend and neighbor Macy Randolph, 13, patiently waits for her turn, as her earlier attempts to gain control of the hose led to Tanner dousing her with water. While high school rodeo is not an organized team sport, many of the teens in the Jefferson City area practice together.

Captions to come. It’s late.

My subject in action at a small rodeo on Saturday. He uses these small summer rodeos as practice for High School Rodeo.

Second half of shooting will be on Thursday. More to come.

When the football is this large in the frame on your 70-200mm lens, DUCK.

It bounced just to the left of me, flew back up to hit Jeff Lautenberger in the hand, and then veered straight into a TV guy’s camera above Jeff’s head.

It’s always an adventure on the sidelines of a football game.

In the last post, I mentioned some video and audio work. Posted today and linked here for everyone’s viewing pleasure is the multimedia piece Jarrad put together for the website. He did the editing and stills, and I shot the video. Yes, even the moment where the play comes directly at me. There’s nothing like watching two giant football players come flying at you while looking through a screen.

Watch the video here!

Jarrad did a great job in a short time period, and I’m super excited that I could be a part of this project. I can’t wait until I get to do it again!

I covered football.

My main goal was to write a story about the game, but make it more about the players than the actual game. It’s not always easy – a game recap is technical, but simple. Just pay attention to the action on the field, and you’re set. Getting an interesting story though, is not as easy. It takes interviewing people, watching the players on and off the field, listening in on coaches giving pep talks, and keeping an eye out for anything interesting that may cross your path.

Tonight’s story, in my opinion, was pretty successful. I got some of the highlights of the action, plus an interesting angle – the team I was assigned to cover had a dismal 1-9 record last season, and actually did quite well at the jamboree tonight. The players were buzzing after the game, energized for the start of their season next week.

Preseason football jamboree energizes Rock Bridge
(My awesome editor wrote that headline. My original one was pretty blah.)

But the best part of the night is due in part to the fantastic photographer, Jarrad, assigned to the event. While he was off shooting photos, he had me working his Flip video recorder, trying to get some sound and video bites. My favorite clip of all was of a play that unfolded right in front of me, and then literally ended up where I had been standing. (Nothing like two 180lb+ guys hurtling at you while looking at a camera screen.) If I can get my hands on that, I’ll post it to the blog.

Then Jarrad needed to head up to the press box to get the video camera ready for some post-game interviews with players. Into my hands was thrust a D2Xs (I think?) with a 17-35mm lens, and I was told to see what I could get. I haven’t seen my take on a computer screen, but I may have gotten some neat shots of the players with awesome clouds and wide-angle goodness.

Once we got the interview area set up, he realized we needed extra audio, just in case the main camera didn’t pick that up. The Flip found its way back in my hands as I tried to capture alternative angle video and hopefully backup audio. We then crashed an interview being done my our other reporter, and I handheld the camera to record one of the coaches talking about the game. (The tripod was missing a plate for the camera. Oops.)

What a rush. What a learning experience. What fun!

I need to get in on more football action this fall. I don’t know how, but I must.

I really love covering football.