70-200 2.8 okay for highschool football games?

I am gearing up for my son's high school football season. I am thinking about purchasing a Siggy 70-200 2.8 for his games. I have access to the sidelines, most of the games will be at dusk and maybe into the night under lights. Will this lens work out? Do I need to invest in a flash?

Thanks for your help - I am a landscape guy, this is new to me.

Shaun

I forgot to mention - I am on a budget $1000 max.

Yes and no. Where are you going to be shooting from. If you can shoot from the sidelines, then yes, generallyou can get enough reach. If you aren't, then no. 70-200 can be short at times though.

I know this is a dumb question, but what should I use for camera support while taking pictures of the games? I was thinking of my monopod with a grip type ball head?

You won't need a monopod for a 70-200mm. Action will be all over the place and you need to really move the camera around

Your 70-200 f2.8 will be plenty for sideline shooting, unless you are unlucky enough to hit field with bad lighting. And you can always bump up your iso.

I bring my monopod all the time when shooting sports that way. Some shooters insist on them, some hate them. It's a matter of preference. I'd bring it, and try shooting with and without it. If you really know football and really know the ins and outs of the team you're shooting, you can anticpate moments well enough so the monopod isn't an impediment. If not, it's a lot easier to get rid of that stiff pole and track the action without it. And image stablization isn't as big a deal when you're moving to track action.

I'd also bring the flash. Overhead lights may be strong enough, generally, but if you use the flash, synch to 1/250 at Av or simply use it as a bump fill, you kill those shadows that turn the face of a football player behind the facemask into a black mass. Experiment with the flash. At just the right setting, it'll kill the shadows but not make the images flat and garish.

Good luck.

Monopod is still good, even if it is 70-200. It helps kee your movement consistent when you are following a play much more than you would with your hand.