“The thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat. The human drama of athletic competition.”

“Wide World of Sports” was a favorite television program while growing up. And the above famous words of the program’s intro, as spoken by host Jim McKay, played over and over in the mind while watching the April 10 nonleague high school boys volleyball match between St. Joseph Notre Dame and host Encinal. For sure, this derby between Alameda schools, which saw St. Joseph rally for a thrilling 21-25, 27-29, 25-22, 26-24, 15-11 win, would have made a great “Wide World” installment.

Yes, the thrill of victory was present. As was the agony of defeat. And in terms of the human drama of athletic competition – - well, this match was sporting theater at its finest. Fact is, the match offered everything a fan would want to see: Intensity. Emotion. Excitement. Effort. Athleticism. Skill. Long rallies. Strong serves. Daring play. Diving for balls. Momentum swings. Lead changes. Energy to spare. And plenty of controversial calls to add to the spectacle. In sum, both teams went all out, playing the game the way it was meant to be played.

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. The human drama of athletic competition. The Pilots and Jets provided all of that.