*Re-posting my blog as a forum for preservation*
My last blog talked about a great deal of adversity facing our team last week. Splits resulted in the team because of this adversity, even myself coming to harsh words with another teammate in the course of our Thursday practice. Our best player was out. Three of our five original starting offensive linemen were out. Two more back-up offensive linemen were out. Our starting strong-side linebacker was out. We'd just lost to the worst team in the area. The local paper's five game predictors all picked us to lose.
Yet somehow, in a wild combination of agony, ecstasy, and emotion we beat Piketon 28-22.
Somehow, in spite of a turnover margin that was minus three, we came out on top.
Somehow, we stopped a team with a two-hundred seventy pound fullback four times in a row on the goal line to preserve a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.
Somehow we followed the stop with a fifteen play, ninety-three yard scoring drive to go up 28-14 with 5:30 left.
And when they got their final shot, 47 seconds left, down six and having a fourth down at their own forty, somehow our junior strong safety broke up the pass.
It was something special, I couldn't have asked for a better senior night. Of course the festivities before the game were awesome as well. Getting your accomplishments listed as you walk along the fifty with your parents. The honors, the banners, the gift bags, all of it was tremendous.
Then I did it for the last time at home. My favorite part of Friday Nights. Coming onto the field. I took it in as much as I could, the cheers, the band, the emotion. Smashing through that banner for the last time will stay with me for all my life, I know it. I get tears just writing about it.
It all ended with a ring of the victory bell. They gathered all us seniors together in a circle with the underclassmen around us. Then water was dumped on our heads. All completed by that sweet ring. What a sound.
I will remember this past Friday night forever.
P.S. - Thanks as always for reading the blog. Comment or suggest a topic if you would like.
As I said, we beat Piketon 28-22 to move to 5-4 on the season. My highlights:
