I covered a press conference today where Cavlin Coolidge Senior High School named Natalie Randolph the school’s new head football coach. She is believed to be the only woman coaching a high school varsity football team in the United States.

Randolph, 29, teaches biology and environmental sciences. She played for five years as a wide receiver for the D.C. Divas of the women’s professional football league and was an assistant football coach at H.D. Woodson High School in D.C.

This is going to be an interesting story to follow.

Fans of Natalie can purchase prints from this event on my archive (click here).

Harrisonburg High School quarterback Jake Johnson is caught from behind during first quarter of the Region III, Division 4 championship game in Amherst Friday night.

First of all it was COLD and WINDY. And it was DARK. This was the first football game where we tested the ability of the NIKON D700 in low light. Of course we have played around with it, but this was the first live shoot where we shot at ISO 6400. I have to say, it is not bad for what it is especially without any noise reduction. I unfortunately did not have Noise Ninja on the laptop. I had forgotten to install it when we replaced the MacBook. Since we generally do not transmit remotely, I never thought about it.

Harrisonburg tailback MIchael Holmes limps along the sidelines after having his right ankle taped following an injury in the first quarter of the regional final in Amherst Friday night.

Harrisonburg's Corbin Whitelow looks for a gap in the Amherst defense during second quarter action in the regional final Friday night.

Harrisonburg's Michael Holmes is caught for a loss during first quarter action in Amherst Friday night.

Harrisonburg quarterback Jake Johnson on the sideline after a fumble that resulted in another Amherst touchdown.

Anyway the story was this… Harrisonburg HIgh School was playing in the Region III, Division 4 championship game in Amherst, Va. They where 10-1 at the start of the game against the 12-0 Lancers.

Harrisonburg scored first with at field goal, but that was where the luck ended. Tailback Michael Holmes left the game with an ankle injury with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Holmes, the state’s leading rusher with 2,738 yards coming into the game, finished with 11 yards on six carries.

Harrisonburg also lost their second-string tailback Corbin Whitelow at the end of first half due to a concussion.

Friday’s win marked the third consecutive year that Amherst (12-0) eliminated HHS (10-2) from the playoffs. The Lancers advanced to the state Group AA semifinals, where they will face Christiansburg next Saturday.

Harrisonburg's Troy Jones is tacked during first quarter action in the regional final in Amherst Friday night.

Harrisonburg's Michael Holmes and Xaviel Esela are transported from the field at halftime.

James Madison's football team takes the field for their final home game of the season against Towson at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

James Madison’s football team clinched its sixth straight winning season beating Towson 43-12 on Saturday in the final game of the season at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va.

James Madison's Bosco Williams dives across the goal line for a touchdown during third quarter against Towson during an NCAA college football game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.

This photo is featured in the New York Times college football slideshow on their website for November 21, 2009  - Click here.

James Madison's Justin Thorpe evades a tackle during second quarter action against Towson during an NCAA college football game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.

James Madison's Mike Caussin goes airborne against Towson during first quarter during an NCAA college football game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.

James Madison's Corwin Acker celebrates his touchdown run late in the second quarter against Towson during an NCAA college football game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.

James Madison's Rockeed McCarter and Maine's Steven Barker battle for a pass during second quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday. JMU won the game 22-14.

I covered the James Madison University and Maine football game in Harrisonburg today. It was not super exciting although Maine did come back and have a chance to win. I missed a couple of great shots which makes me a bit cranky, but sometimes that is the way it goes.

James Madison defensive tackle Ronnell Brown and defensive line assistant coach Isai Bradshaw celebrate following a bad snap by Maine on fourth down that resulted in JMU scoring a safety during second quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

JMU quarterback Justin Thorpe brushes aside a defender on his way to a touchdown during second quarter action against Maine on Saturday.

James Madison quarterback Justin Thorpe celebrates following his touchdown run in the secod quarter against Maine.

In reality it is not really true.

Take for instance the photo I shot at the James Madison vs Montana game during the Div 1AA playoffs last year. The full-frame image is below:

Sports Illustrated always wants the full-frame unaltered raw image file. So that was what I sent them after the game when I saw I had something they may be interested in for a “Leading Off” spread. Luckily they like it and they used it. But they did crop into it as you can see below.

Another recent cover is the subject of a discussion on Sports Shooter. It is a photo by Bob Rosato from the Saints vs Dolphins game that appears on the November 1 cover of Sports Illustrated seen below:

© Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

Because most sports photographers hold shooters for SI in high regard (including myself) because of their talent and the fact they get to shoot for the holy grail of sports photography, many would think that this was also full-frame, or at least close. In fact it was shot pretty wide and as a horizontal. See below:

© Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

I think this is a valuable lesson for struggling beginners who try to capture this kind of end-zone shot with a tighter lens and not having much luck. Shooting it a bit looser betters your odds and gives you more options.

One last example comes from an old friend from my days of shooting professional golf. Fred Vuich does a lot of work for SI and recently had a cover seen below:

© Fred Vuich/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

Wonderful cover shot. The full-frame image is below:

© Fred Vuich/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

James Madison's Rockeed McCarter dives for a pass during second quarter action against Richmond at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday. Richmond won the game 21-17.

When the giant inflatable Duke Dog lost power just before the JMU players were to take the field, making their usual entrance from underneath it with fog and fanfare, I told someone standing nearby that it was probably a bad omen. They restored power in the nick of time, but the stage was set.

The Richmond Spiders came into Bridgeforth Stadium ranked number one in the CAA standings. JMU held tough and had the lead for about half of the game.

Richmond scored with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter to go up by four on the Dukes. JMU then marched down the field and got into scoring position with a first and goal on the 6-yard line with 1 minute remaining.

Just like the inflatable mascot at the start of the game, the wind came out of the Duke’s sails and the quarterback fumbled on the very next play. Richmond won the game 21-17.

As our newspaper’s sports editor Chris Simmons said in his column, “The fairy dust that coated the Dukes last season has evaporated.”

James Madison's Brandon Randolph tackles Richmond's Tre Gray during first quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

Richmond's Darryl Hamilton breaks up a pass to James Madison's Rockeed McCarter during second quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

Richmond's Brett Weigand has his punt blocked during second quarter action against James Madison at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday. James Madison's Corwin Acker recovered the blocked punt for a touchdown.

James Madison's Arthur Moats gets his hands on Richmond quarterback Nick Hicks during third quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

James Madison head coach Mickey Matthews is held back as he voices his displeasure over a call to one of the officials during James Madison's game against Richmond at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg Saturday.

Richmond's Kevin Grayson looks back for a pass over JMU's Vidal Nelson during first quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

James Madison’s Rockeed McCarter, dives into the endzone for a touchdown to put the Dukes up 24-10 in the second quarter against VMI in Harrisonburg Saturday.  JMU won the game 44-16.

James Madison quarterback Drew Dudzik is upended on an attempt for a 2-point conversion during fourth quarter action at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg in the NCAA Div 1-AA Semifinal Friday night. Dudzik’s dive was ruled good after a replay review. Montana beat JMU 35-27 to advance to the final in Chattanooga.

This image ran as a “Leading Off” image in Sports Illustrated the following week. It placed first in the National Press Photographer’s Region 3 Clip contest for the month of December and also won second in the December NPPA national competition.