ASHTYN’S WORLD / By Ashtyn Lucas | Hello, world. Let’s talk football (& lots of other stuff)

Well, I must say this is a little different. 

Prior to Saturday, I have been in AT&T Stadium several times. From whenever I was doing competitive cheer, to Kilgore High School’s 2013 State Championship Game against Carthage. However, not once have I been able to sit in the AT&T press box. So far it has definitely been quite an experience. 

We walk in and of course, it starts raining, because why would it not (keep in mind we obviously have our computer bags and have to go pick up our badges and AT&T is needless to say, not a little stadium). 

Well, we got our bags checked and we walked our way to the elevator. Naturally I’m yapping about something to my dad and apparently, I am doing it relatively loud because I look up and this guy is staring at me like I have about seven heads. So, I obviously give him that awkward smile you give someone whenever you make eye contact with them and stop talking completely.  

Some of the things that we go through as humans are excruciating painful. I am talking about awkward experiences that no one thinks about, by the way. Such as being in an elevator in general. Last night I was in the press box for the Kilgore and Chapel Hill Playoff game in Forney. Yes, I know what you’re thinking and yes apparently, I am insane because I did in fact go to Forney for a football game and then wake up and go to Arlington for another. 

 Anywhoosies, irrelevant. Getting in an elevator to me is excruciatingly awkward. No one ever knows what to say. No one knows how to stand. I’ve never noticed until this morning that every time without fail whenever I get into an elevator with people, I don’t know my body’s reaction is to automatically look down or thoroughly examine the elevator walls, why, I have no clue. 

It is currently in the first quarter and Arizona State takes a timeout. Well, if you have been to any college football game during these timeouts, normally the dance team will take the field and do a short routine.  

I must say, I have been dancing for about 15 years. I danced in high school, and we did halftime performances. During these halftime performances ,it was our goal to take up most of the field. I’m talking about 30-yard line to 30-yard line.  

Arizona State’s Dance Team (ASUDT) did a wonderful job during this time-out performance, but as a dancer I thought it was quite comical to see their whole dance team dance for a minute within 10 yards.  

One thing I have noticed about being in the press box is how much more you see on the sidelines. Whenever you’re sitting in the audience you are obviously paying attention to the game and every once in a while, you’ll see the camera guy put some fans on the jumbotron. 

I am sitting in the corner of Arizona State’s endzone facing Arizona State’s bench. I was watching their sideline, and I know they have people that are there to give signals to the players on the field.  

You want these people to be easy to see from a far distance. For example, in my opinion — Joey Pippen, wide receivers coach of Kilgore, he uses hand signals. He tapes his fingers with white tape. Coach Pip correct me if I’m wrong, but I have always thought that it was so wide receivers, such as Jayden Sanders, Jacory Walton, Lakeyleon Graves, and Javon (JT) Towns, can see what his hands and fingers are doing easier.

I was watching Arizona State’s sideline, and I saw some of their coaches doing hand signals. However, unlike Joey, these guys are dressed in red, blue, and green. Which is great because I can see them. But I got a kick out of the fact that they resemble Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, from Alvin and the Chipmunks.  

Speaking of sidelines last night, I was in charge of videoing and taking pictures. Some of the things you hear on the sidelines are insane. 

Last night I was behind Kilgore’s endzone, and Chapel Hill was on their final drive before halftime. They were backed up to their own 5-yard line. Close enough where I could hear what was being said on the field.  

Now, most of the time you do not want to hear what these players are saying because 9 times out of 10 it probably isn’t the cleanest thing.  

Well, last night I was videoing, and you can hear it in the video, but you can’t see who is saying it.  

Apparently, a Chapel Hill player was trying to get clever and all I heard was a Kilgore player (most likely Cam (Big Cam) Christian) say “Oh ,you thought you was slick.” 

I would consider myself pretty knowledgeable about football. I have grown up around it my entire life.  

Normally people exaggerate and throw that term around lightly. Not me. At the ripe age of 2 weeks, I was at my first football game: Kilgore’s 2004 State Championship game against Dallas Lincoln at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco. Floyd Casey Stadium was the first place I had ever been other than the hospital and my house.  

After 19 years and 50 weeks of gaining knowledge about football you would think there’s not that much more, I could learn about it. 

Well, today I learned something new about football.  

I had no idea that if someone blocks a punt then you can just hit the absolute crap out of the punter and not get a roughing the punter call. That absolutely blows my mind. 

While there was a timeout AT&T will run highlights of both teams, and they played one of Iowa State’s defense blocking a punt and then hitting the heck out of the Baylor punter, Palmer Williams. I looked at my dad and confidently said “how is that not roughing the punter.” He replied with “If the punt gets blocked, it doesn’t matter.” Needless to say, I was baffled.  

It is no secret that I am an Alabama fan. I’ve grown up one and will always be one. Believe me, I know it’s not a popular opinion.  

My big brother, Jacob, is at school there now. He also works for Alabama’s athletic department. Below is a video Jacob shot of Ryan Williams scoring in the first game of the year.

Living in Texas and being an Alabama fan is not for the weak, let me tell you. Anytime Alabama lost a game I would dread going to school the next day.  

I’ll never forget my sixth-grade year whenever Alabama played Clemson in the National Championship, and I went to bed before the game ended. I woke up that morning and saw the score and the people I went to school with never let me forget that score if I wanted to.  

66-14 Clemson was the final. A major blow-out. The worst thing about being an Alabama fan is that not only do big rivalry teams such as Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, and Tennessee hate you, but everyone hates you.  

Alabama’s playoff chances are decent, but also rocky at the same time. Everyone would be absolutely stoked if Alabama managed to drop out of the top 12. Everyone’s reasoning is that “A 3-loss team should not be in the College Football Playoffs.” Let’s look at some stats from the past few years. 

In 2022, Clemson went 10-3 and was ranked #7, that same year Utah went 10-4 and was ranked #8. In 2023, Penn State went 10-3 and was ranked #10, that same year Oklahoma also went 10-3 and was ranked #12.  

I already know what you’re going to say. “Ashtyn, that was different because it was on a 4-team playoff system.” How? How is that different? If it was on a 12-team playoff system, then those teams would have made the playoffs.  

If this year was a 4-team playoff system I completely agree that Alabama should not get in. Their season has obviously not been the same as previous years. For all I know, Alabama may get in and pull a first-round exit.  

With all of that being said I am watching a squash match between Arizona State and Iowa State. It is currently 45-10 Arizona State at the beginning of the fourth quarter.  

Obviously, this is the Big 12 Championship matchup unless a miracle happens, and Arizona State gets hit by a bread truck, and Iowa State comes back wins this game (not likely), then Arizona State is going to the College Football Playoffs.  

As an Alabama fan, Arizona State is looking very dangerous, and I do not want to see the Sun Devil Logo in the same bracket as the script A anytime soon.  

Me and “Mitchie” for those of you who don’t know that is what I call my dad, whether he likes it or not the world (y’all) may never know.  

Well, me and Mitchie have quite a bit in common, we have pretty much the same personality.  

Another thing we have in common is that we are not big coffee drinkers. There is a coffee station in the press box with literally any sort of coffee or hot chocolate drink that you can think of.  

My dad decides that he is going to get a cup of coffee, so I follow him. He gets a French Vanilla. Well first off, if anyone wants to tell me the difference between French Vanilla and a French Vanilla Coffee, or what a French Vanilla is in general please be my guest.  

The machine finishes making Mitchie’s drink, so he goes and sits down. Mine finishes shortly after and so then I go back to my seat. I get there and my dad has probably drunk a little under half of his “French Vanilla.” 

 I lean over to him and ask if he wants to try mine (even though we quite literally got the same thing) and without a single smirk he looks at me and says “No, I think I have 3^rd degree burns.”  

I have no idea why it was so funny, but I absolutely lost it and busted out laughing. I get the feeling that the people around me didn’t like me very much (no clue why they wouldn’t like me).  

There is currently 3:20 left on the game clock. The score is 45-19 Arizona State.  

Let me just say, I am not the biggest cheer person. I did it whenever I was little and for a few years in junior high and that was it.  

Your job as a cheerleader is to hype up the crowd and cheer on the team. Hints the name (cheer)leader.  

It is very easy to cheer on your team whenever they are winning or even in a one score difference in the game.  

No one talks about how hard it is to keep on cheering whenever your team is getting blown out of the water and the fans are leaving at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Not to mention that Iowa is not just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  

I pulled out my handy dandy maps app and did a tiny bit of research. Iowa State University is an 11-hour drive from AT&T Stadium.  

After a not so hard fight, the final is 45-19 Arizona State University. 

Well, this definitely was a different experience for me writing, and probably for y’all reading!