A Nerd in a Football School

In the Fall of 1980, I had it all figured out. I was a Junior at Medford Senior High School, the big leagues. My GPA was perfect and I was looking forward to my AP classes, science club, and the debate team. I grinned when I found my locker, #B69. Chad, the Varsity football captain grunted and elbowed me as he opened his locker, #B68. Calvin Klein’s Obsession assaulted my senses as I turned to see the most popular girl in the school, Mandy, the Captain of the Varsity Cheerleaders, primping in a mirror on her locker, #B70. My stomach churned. An icepick entered my eye and buried itself deep in my brain. You see, I was a nerd in a Football school.

Football is no joke in Medford, Oregon. A couple of years before, the small town of Medford had two highschools with about 300 kids per class. And Portland always kicked their butt in Football. The town fathers had had enough and split the schools into 9/10 (Junior High school) and 11/12 (Senior High School), effectively doubling the pool for Varsity sports. The plan worked, Medford Senior High School ruled the rankings in AAA Varsity sports across the board.

The entire social hierarchy of the town revolved around Varsity sports. Junior High had felt like a continuation of middle school. Senior High was where the action was. And I had finally made it. Or had I?