Photo by Michael Starghill

With almost the same edge-of-seat anxiety and optimistic hope as an athlete’s spectator parents, we’ve been intently watching and following the story of Natalie Randolph and her freshman season coaching the Coolidge Colts. From the fanfare-filled announcement and first game, to their dismal losing streak and fortune-reversing first victory, the next chapter in the story picks up tonight, when the Coolidge Colts (4-6) play their first 2010 DCIAA playoff game against last year’s defending champions, the H.D. Woodson Warriors (7-3), today at 4:30 p.m. at Cardoza.

Despite ending the regular with a loss against Dunbar and a losing record, Coolidge’s four-game winning streak — coming after five opening losses — still earned them a berth into the playoffs. A win tonight will push Randolph and her Colts into the DCIAA title game, otherwise known as the Turkey Bowl, appropriately on Thanksgiving morning.

The Washington Post’s Alan Goldenbach has been one of the few reporters in town still covering the story from the media frenzy nine months ago, through the winless lull, until now. And on the eve of what could be the end to the Colts’ season, Goldenbach provides a look at the team’s mental preparations over the past few months and how they are ready for tonight’s game. Nonetheless, nothing can be said that Randolph can’t say for herself in this Post video piece:

I’m tired. From the time I got the job until now. It’s been everyday I haven’t really had a day off that I haven’t done something for football. Coolidge has consumed my life for the past nine months. I feel like I should be having a baby soon.

We all learned a lot and we’re anxious for the next go around, to fix the things we did wrong and to improve on the things we did right. It feels good to know that we made it through something that was this hard. When it’s all over, then I’ll be able to say “I did something and let’s see what I can do next time to do better.”

Good luck to Randolph and her Colts. And whatever happens in today’s game, we’re sure you’ve done something special.