March 28, 2024

Kronberg: A wonderfully beautiful moment in time

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sure it was a bit of a wild adventure making my way to the greater Kansas City area this past weekend.

An arduous, almost dangerous trek Friday on snowy, icy roads took two and a half times longer than it would on a normal, dry day trying to make my way east on Highway 34, then south on Interstate 35. Several wrecks on I-35 in northern Missouri between Bethany and Cameron held traffic up for several hours.

Fortunately I finally reached Kansas City around 1 a.m. Saturday morning. I’ve never been so happy to be off the road and safely tucked in for the night by the time I arrived at my brother’s house in central Kansas City, Missouri.

Roughly 12 hours later, there I was inside Children’s Mercy Park Saturday night covering the Northwest Missouri State and North Alabama Division II national championship game.

The anticipation grew as I made my way over from the American Royal Complex after watching the Creston/Orient-Macksburg wrestling team compete at the Kansas City Stampede tournament during the morning and early afternoon.

Snow was falling as I made my way west on Interstate 70 toward the part of Kansas City, Kan., known as Village West.

By the time I parked behind center field at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the snow was definitely picking up. Once I checked in, dropped off my computer and camera bag in the press box and made my way down to the field, snow was covering the field.

While the temperature was dropping during the game, the field sitting roughly 20-30 feet below street level and the large grandstand/club and suite and press box level on the north side of the stadium effectively blocked the gusty wind enough to take the chill out of the air somewhat.

As the sun set and the lights took full effect, the snow became gloriously pretty.

By the third quarter rolled around, it was all the grounds crew could do to keep where the sidelines were supposed to be relatively snow free.

Trying to judge where the yard lines were was an almost impossible task. It was so tricky, the public address announcer was having to correct himself multiple times of what yard line the ball was on. And even then, that was almost a guess.

From field level, you could hardly tell what yard line the ball was on, only a vague guess if it was outside the 20s.

I’ve watched many a Broncos or Packers game over the years when snowstorms have come through Denver or Green Bay. Watching those games on television is almost romantic.

Seeing a snow game up close and personal only confirmed those feelings.

Imagine shaking up a snow globe and seeing how pretty it looks.

Then picture yourself being inside that snow globe.

That’s what it was like at Children’s Mercy Park.

It was romantically beautiful.

I fired up my phone, snapped a few images to save the memory, the moment.

It’s now my background picture on my Facebook and Twitter pages, on the background of my personal and work laptops.

One of the final pictures of 2016, and up there among my favorite pictures taken of both 2016 and ever.

The way the snow swirled in the lights, covered the field was beautiful.

Sure it was chilly, but the way the snow enveloped Children’s Mercy Park was glorious.

Eventually Northwest Missouri State finished off a dominating 29-3 win.

As the last minute wound down, players and coaches celebrated on the sideline. I kept my eye on Creston native Collin Bevins, trying to capture his reactions.

The Bearcats completed their second straight national title, second straight perfect 15-0 season, won their third national title in four years, a modern dynasty.

The postgame festivities began.

I lost track of Bevins for a few seconds, snapping a few images of Kuemper Catholic product Cass Weitl for my friends at Carroll Broadcasting and the Carroll Daily Times-Herald and North Scott product Randy Schmidt for another friend at the North Scott Press in Eldridge.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bevins out near midfield.

He’d found the trophy. It was securely in his possession and he wasn’t letting go.

Arguably Northwest’s best, most impactful defensive lineman, if not defensive player ever, was relishing a third championship moment.

I fired the camera, holding down on the shutter.

The way Bevins face glistened in the lights and snow, the way the trophy beamed together in the lights and snow amidst the celebration was spectacular.

I was hoping for some type of image with Bevins with the trophy if Northwest won.

I couldn’t have dreamt of a better picture to accent my centerpiece feature on his illustrious career.

The stage was rolled out for the presentation. The trophy was handed to Bearcats coach Adam Dorrel.

Fireworks went off, confetti burst in a glorious blue and silver blur.

It was simply breathtaking the way that all blended in with the snow in the air, on the field, a photographe’rs dream.

Soon enough, it was time to head inside for the press conference, a one-on-one interview with the former Panther.

I dawdled around after, staring out on the field.

Francesca Battistelli’s Christmas song “Be Born In Me (Mary)” hummed in my mind, a fitting song to this picture-perfect landscape some 10 days before Christmas.

A few tears streaked down my face.

After a fall and early winter that’s been nothing short of an emotional nightmare away from work, all because of stupid mistakes I made and own that cost me so much, cost me a special person for good, has taken a brutally heavy emotional toll, standing there at midfield brought with it a needed sense of peace.

While the storm was going on around Children’s Mercy Park, the lights, the snow in the air, on the field, provided breathtaking beauty.

As nutty as it was reaching Kansas City, as silly as the drive home Sunday afternoon would be, it was all so worth it.

In that moment standing there inside a humble, empty stadium in the heart of eastern Kansas, my heart was warmed like it hasn’t been since early June.

As much as I wish I could’ve shared that moment with a few people, it was there to comfort a shattered heart, a beaten soul.

A moment, a game that was simply perfect in every single way.

Congratulations to Mr. Bevins and the Bearcats for an amazing ride this season. It was a privilege and an honor to help document your journey toward another title.

And thank you for providing a game, a night I needed in the worst possible way, more than you all will ever begin to know.

Merry Christmas!