It’s been about a month now since we added a Pembroke Express and I started covering East Bridgewater, Whitman-Hanson, and Pembroke High School sports. While Justin and I have been spread pretty thin, I thought I had done a pretty good job of getting to as many different things as possible and keeping the quality of the sports coverage as good as it can be.

Therefore, I was more dismayed than I would have liked when a track captain who shall remain nameless informed me rather matter-of-factly that she and I were, “In a fight, forever” because I missed the East Bridgewater vs. Carver meet last Monday. The girls meet was historic in the fact that the  win by the Vikings ended a 46-meet winning streak by the Crusaders. It was also the most entertaining meet of the year, with victory hinging on the final event (and possibly the most exciting event in track,) the 4x400 relay. After talking to some parents and coach Davison about the meet, the meet is up there with Whitman-Hanson girls soccer’s double overtime win over Marshfield in the South Sectional semi-finals on my list of things I things I was stupid enough not to cover.

If it were fall or winter, I could have said at least I was probably not the only one who missed the meet. I remember at the end of the cross country season when coach McCabe told the crowd on senior night that it had been one of the best years for cross-country attendance and thinking, wow that doesn’t say much for the support the team gets despite winning the league and setting school records numerous times. Indoor attendance is more excusable because Wheaton is a bit of a trip and no one likes going to Reggie Lewis.

However, East Bridgewater takes the cake as far as spring track attendance goes. Of the three schools I cover, the Vikings have the most fan support at track meets, even when they are away. While I have been glad to see the support the team gets every afternoon, I wonder how many of the Viking faithful will be able to drag themselves out of bed at 9:30 in the morning this weekend.

This Saturday is the Class D relays in Abington. It is also the day after the East Bridgewater High School senior prom. The Vikings boys team won the event last spring, the indoor track team kept pace this winter, winning the event at Reggie Lewis and, provided there are no problems the night before, both the teams looks like contenders for the title this year. Getting up for a 9:30 a.m. meet the day after a prom is a feat in itself, let alone winning the meet against some of the best teams in the state so it would be nice of people besides parents turned up to give the teams some support.

For all the students who don’t want to get up after a night of fancy dresses and over-priced tuxedos, I issue this challenge. If it is going to be a tradition to have the relays on the day after prom, then maybe it should be an East Bridgewater tradition to show up to cheer on the Vikings in your prom clothes. And just because I don’t want to seem like I am sounding off on people from my ivory tower, I will bring my prom suit (which I bought off eBay and is so ugly that the girl at the Men’s Warehouse asked me if I even had a date when I went to go buy a matching tie) and, if people actually show up dressed nicely, I’ll go put the thing on too. You can’t ask people to do something you won’t do yourself.

And for the record, not only did I have a date to my prom, but she was from East Bridgewater. See you all Saturday.