Elisa Gabbert’s collections of poetry and essays include, most recently, “Normal Distance” and “Any Person Is the Only Self.” Her On Poetry columns appear four times a year.

Week 3 of the Central Texas high school football season started Thursday night with a real doozie: the Hendrickson Hawks roaring back from 24 points to nip the Hays Hawks 42-41 in Pflugerville. But it ...