Most championships games are very competitive. The generally are also much more physical that a regular season game. What I did not expect is to see blood on the field due to a play at home.
The game was tense with Willows High school taking an early lead. Durham High has fought back to put up runs. This challenge threatened the lead that Willows had developed. I was poised to catch a great moment that I knew would happen at home plate. I set up and when the opportunity came, I was ready. A Durham player was running full speed toward homeplate when he collided with the Willows High catcher. I wasn't ready to see a Durham player be knocked to the ground only to briefly stand with blood falling from his brow.
See the story by sports writer Travis Souders, who explains the story much better than me.
The benches cleared as a little chaos erupted. I was frantically photographing all angles to try to capture the story. I was really lucky to see that my camera had snapped the shots. It really would have been great to get video of the collision, but I am a photographer first and a videographer second. I did get some great photos of the scene.
Later in the game a second collision at third base which resulted in the Durham player receiveing a concussion. In the end, Durham battled hard to claim their 5th straight title. It was well deserved and well earned. I'd never seen such a physical game that was fought so hard.
Durham High's #10 Eric Shanks (right) is knocked down against Willows High's #22 Eduardo Briones (left) on an attempt to score at home plate in the bottom of the sixth inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif. Shanks was called safe because of obstruction, though suffered a bleeding laceration to the head on the play.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Durham High's #10 Eric Shanks is knocked down against Willows High's #22 Eduardo Briones (not seen) on an attempt to score at home plate in the bottom of the sixth inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif. Shanks was called safe because of obstruction, though suffered a bleeding laceration to the head on the play.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Durham High's #12 Damon Young (right) is tagged in the face against Willows High's #3 Kyle Wycoff (left) in an attempt to take an extra base to third base on an overthrown ball in the bottom of the sixth inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Durham High's #12 Damon Young (bottom) is tagged in the face against Willows High's #3 Kyle Wycoff (top) in an attempt to take an extra base to third base on an overthrown ball in the bottom of the sixth inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Durham High's head coach Bill Wells reacts to score against Willows High in the bottom of the sixth inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Durham High's #10 Eric Shanks (top left) lies on top of the pile as the team celebrates the win against Willows High in the top of the seventh inning during their baseball game at Butte College's Cowan field Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Oroville, Calif. Shanks' head was bandaged because of a laceration to this head due to a collision while attempting to score at home plate in the bottom of the sixth, who was called safe because of obstruction.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)
Check out a photo gallery of the full game action.
