My head is swimming. Actually it’s channeling lacrosse. No, it seems my focus remains with soccer — except for the flashbacks I have of a melancholy baseball campaign.

Then, just this weekend when I thought I was collecting myself, I began awakening in the middle of the night with visions of Trevor Halsted and Brian De La Mora running around my mental track, and coach Dale Hersch’s players rhythmically sending sheep (or was it tennis balls?) back and forth over the net.

From cross country and water polo waaaaay back in September, right through this very week when the Davis High softball team battled deep into the playoffs and some very select Blue Devil athletes assuredly head for the state track and field meet, the 2010-11 Blue Devil athletic season has been one for all seasons.

And it’s been an experience I won’t soon forget.

For the most part, it has been my privilege to report on many of the DHS games. To some of my assignments I brought guests from near and far, such is my pride in what our Blue Devils accomplish.

I love writing about what’s happened. It’s all for you, our readers. And for our kids, their parents and fans.

When I get a night off — my boss, sports editor Chris Saur, will vouch for this — I love heading out to see the twins or our stonewall front line at a Lady Blue Devils basketball game … or going down the road to see DHS handle Franklin on the diamond and avoid a play-in contest.

But I’ve done something a little different much of this sports season. Most of this time, especially at our Blue Devil home games, I’ve sat with the opposing fans.

A) I can concentrate a little more on matters at hand. Sitting with the home fans gives me too much opportunity to chat with friends, losing perspective on details of what I’m supposed to be covering. In short, too many distractions while I’m at work.

B) Sitting with the enemy allowed me to gain perspective of what opposing fans (parents, students, administrators) think of us. It was a revelation.

I was surprised that most fans had respect for our programs and our athletes. I heard smatterings of how privileged we were; what “great facilities they have, but it figures, their school district is so wealthy;” how the officials always give DHS all the breaks.

Yeah, right.

Many of the comments revolved around how a one-high-school town like Davis had a great advantage: with 1,700-plus students from which to choose, why wouldn’t its athletic teams all be incredible?

The comments were a mixed bag. All understandable, many ill-founded. But one hit home big time: that one high school comment. Yep, it’s a big high school. And let’s keep it that way.

Look at what the students — in and out of the athletic program have accomplished. Look at how vulcanized our community is on behalf that one school. (I’m not forgetting Da Vinci High, but remember, its athletes compete for DHS.) Look how splintered other two-or-more-school communities have become, dividing their allegiances between more than one school …

The fundraising competitions, the rivalries that cut deep (think gangs), the need for a school district to look equally upon each school when it comes to benefits/cuts.

Anyway, I’m just thinking out loud: We have one, incredible, storied high school that just keeps doing a better and better job for its students. In and out of the classroom, let’s not get too quick to fix anything that works.

Congratulations to everybody involved at DHS this school year … and happy graduation. Can’t wait to see what else our Blue Devils accomplish over the years.

While I Have You Here: That Sac-Joaquin Section title for the Davis girls on Saturday was sublime. Beating St. Francis 1-0 for DHS’  fourth soccer crown was scintillating. There was one problem with my story in talking about the winning goal.

When Courtney Jimenez scored off a miss from Anna Maria Gilbertson, I mentioned the play starting with sweeper Dana Granger on the defensive end. Looking back at the films, I failed to give appropriate shout-outs to Olivia Muller and Jennie Hawkins, intermediaries in getting the ball in the attack zone for the Devils’ overtime strike.

Now you know the rest of the story on that historic goal.

— Bruce Gallaudet is a staff writer for The Davis Enterprise. Reach him at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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