Football reigns in Texas. From peewee to the National Football, people gather to the field or TV like moths to a flame — and I’m no different.

In Texas, football isn’t just a sport but a tradition. In some households, families meet around the couch on Sunday afternoons with plates of food. Others use it as a time to shoot the bull with friends, grab a beer and have intense screaming matches that somehow bring them closer together. Boys are weird.

As a college student, I was a sports editor. I went and covered most of my alma mater’s games. I freelanced high school games for the local newspaper for almost two years and watched the NFL on Sundays in my free time. Now, two weeks into the 2019-220 season, I have found a new way to celebrate the game — fantasy football.

When I moved to Texas from Las Vegas in 2012 I took to football like a fish to water. Nevada, sadly, has no NFL team and the high school level was not all that thrilling either. So when I moved to the small town of Tarkington, I was way out of my element with the traditions, the mums and the celebrity aspect of the players but I quickly grew to love the Friday night lights.

So when my coworkers asked me a couple weeks ago to join their fantasy league team I decided it was one aspect of the game I had never taken part in and wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, as excited as I was, I overslept a brief nap on draft night and ended up with a rag tag group of players on my team. That was mistake No. 1.

However, despite the awful start to my first fantasy league I found myself enjoying it. The repertoire in the group chat with words that are not fit for printing, the ups and downs of an already wild season, (Drew Brees injury, Texans-Saints ending, etc.) and branching out to watch different teams and players besides my own favorites.

So, although I’ve lost both games for Week 1 and 2 — both by narrow margins I might add — I am still optimistic for the rest of my fantasy season. I’ll do some trading, watch games, keep up with stats and continue enjoying the time with coworkers and friends. After all, football season has always been about more than just winning and losing in Texas but the camaraderie, spirit and tradition.

Although, it would be nice if the Texans offensive line could get it together for one season. #ahopefulfan

Cassandra Jenkins is a reporter for The Port Arthur News. She can be reached at cassie.jenkins@panews.com