There are three booths or sections in the Ogden press box. The north one is occupied by long-time public address announcer Alan Mueller, along with the clock and timer operators.

Mueller has been behind the mic for Ogden football since 2001 and does a wonderful account of the game.

The south booth was once occupied by former Ogden coach Erik Thompson as he managed the game from there, given his battle with ALS.

Now with Thompson retired and the advent of streaming, the south booth is manned with cameras and radio announcers.

The announcers in the streaming booth hyped the game as the battle of Ogden, between the Tigers and the Lakers, somehow forgetting Ben Lomond just up the road.

This was a first football game for the stream; they began doing live broadcasts this past basketball season.

The center section is a two-seater and has in the past been empty, so it’s where I sit (visiting coaches go up on top of the press box).

So therein lies a problem: two Ogden assistant coaches now occupy the center booth.

Two coaches and me make three, and we had a logjam.

Recognizing my needs, and eschewing their own, Ogden assistant defensive coordinator Miguel Aguilar and assistant offensive coordinator Irving Gastelum agreed to switch spots to my left, depending if the Tigers were on offense or defense, and let me co-pilot the right chair.

Many thanks to them for accommodating me on that Friday night.

Aguilar apologized to me beforehand for what I might hear.

The assistant coaches in the booth communicate with the sideline coaches through headsets and excitedly relay what they see as it happens. How that translates to the players on the field — because the action is already underway — is beyond me.

Common calls were dive, dive, dive, he’s coming, he’s running, and good stop! Also common was communication about whether the situation calls for a run or pass.

They are often counting players on the field, making sure the number is 11 (and not 10 or 12), congratulating players on good plays and less so for bad ones. But the players don’t have earpieces in their helmets, so it goes for naught.

Plays and formations are called out, using a variety of names and numbers, along with creative nicknames like sniffer, used often on Friday.

More common vernacular like double tight, trips left, heavy, cover four, and identifying a particular player who has entered the game is also communicated. Down and yards to go are frequent tidbits passed along.

“Good ‘stuff’,” a phrase I’ve adjusted for this print readership, is often passed out in praise.

Ogden won the game 7-6, and I was lucky to record the two scoring plays and the coaches’ reactions.

Gastelum (the 2019 graduate who was a star receiver and returner for the Tigers) yelled “there it is, there it is” as Nash Bockwoldt hauled in a 10-yard pass from quarterback Emmett Rector, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead (following what turned out to be a very important extra point by Colton Rasmussen) with 3:59 remaining in the first quarter.

The streaming booth noted the importance of scoring in the red zone, with “What a play, what a catch.”

Claps, high fives and knuckles were exchanged between Gastelum and Aguilar.

Bonneville closed the gap to 7-6 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Luke Loughton to Boston Chipman as time ran out in the second quarter, much to the chagrin of Aguilar.

He slapped the table often during the game, but this time in frustration with his defense. Considerable consternation and — as Aguilar anticipated — cussing followed in quick succession.

When Ogden’s Ryan Kirkland blocked the extra point, Ogden held the tenuous 7-6 edge.

Mueller, astutely assisted by spotters Don Wood and Jeff Griggs, identified Kirkland from the middle of the pack as the hero of the day.

Aguilar and Gastelum went to the locker room at the half and returned with their marching orders — Aguilar with his folded papers and Gastelum his laminated play calls, with “keep it simple” written across the top.

After the game, Aguilar reveled in the victory, enjoying it with his defensive players — particularly proud of Julian Salgado, who intercepted a pass to quelch the final Bonneville comeback effort.

As Mueller announced the upcoming events to the lingering crowd, I conducted my interviews and exited stage left.

Ogden High has always treated me royally and I have newfound friends in Miguel Aguilar and Irving Gastelum.

Thanks again.

Inside the Lines covers Northern Utah high school sports through the eyes of 51-year sportswriting veteran Bob Judson, who is a resident of Layton.