Coaches and parents alike understand they're better served sometimes stabbing their eye sockets with sharp pencils rather than trying to impart wisdom to teenagers. Eye rolls, blow offs, failures to process information. Sometimes all in one sitting.

The words that follow, however, come from a college freshman, not far removed from what high school football players from four teams in the region and 28 others throughout Connecticut, will experience this weekend.

The playoffs are here.

And if it feels trite to suggest they savor every sight, sound and smell, then heed the words of Marcus Outlow, graduate of Norwich Free Academy and freshman running back at Boston College.

The scene: Outlow is standing outside a giant football meeting room last weekend at the Yawkey Athletics Center, his regular season over for roughly 30 minutes after a victory over Syracuse. Outlow, plenty happy over BC's season, got a twinkle, too, over the accomplishments of his alma mater, a playoff team again after dusting New London on Thanksgiving.

"I think about high school a lot," Outlow was saying, "and how much I took it for granted. I miss high school and I wish I could go back. I feel like I didn't appreciate it enough."

Outlow was rolling now.

"They've got to remember one thing when they go out and play (this weekend)," he said. "This could be your last opportunity. Leave it all out there. I know it sounds cliché, but once it's gone, it's really gone. And everything you didn't do, you are going to remember, like it or not. You'll get to college thinking 'what if I played like this when I was in high school?' So enjoy it. Enjoy being in locker room. Enjoy it all. And even if your coach gets on your nerves, pay attention to what he's saying, not how he says it."

Every coach who reads that quote will highlight it and pin it to the bulletin board. See, boys? It's not me spewing clichés. This is a guy who was running over Florida State a few weeks ago. See?

Outlow's words belong in every locker room, every team, every sport. It applies to girls and boys. If you are lucky enough to share the high school experience with teammates, your bonds, memories and inside jokes endure. Except that there are roughly 1,200 football players in Connecticut right now who have the chance to enjoy history as it unfolds, rather than lamenting its passing.

How fortunate they are.

Outlow's words resonated again late Thursday afternoon at rival Ledyard. Jim Buonocore, Ledyard's coach, was addressing his team after practice, mostly logistics leading to Saturday's game, until he took a detour. He was talking to his boys about a lyric from an Eminem song:

"If you had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment … would you capture it or just let it slip?"

Full disclosure: Even I got a chill.

This is their shot. Pressure? Maybe. Is that a bad thing? Nah. Embrace it. If it was easy, as Jimmy Dugan said in "A League of Their Own," everybody would do it. It's not easy. It shouldn't be. But on the way, don't forget what everything looks like, sounds like and smells like.

At Ledyard, for instance, cherish every time public address announcer Don MacKenzie plays the "we need more cowbell" bit over the public address system. (Gets me every time). It adds to the ambience. And the memories.

Cherish every second with your friends. The bus rides, the locker room time. Even freezing your ascot off on the practice field.

One day you'll say: What I wouldn't give …

Even a guy with a promising college career says so.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius