At the end of practice, the line coach got us together and told us who would be starting in the second game of the season. The starting line changed a little bit, but the biggest change for me was the pecking order of backup players. My name was at the top of the list, which meant that as soon as one of the starters needed a break, I would get a chance to play. With three players playing both offense and defense, I knew I wouldn’t be on the sideline for long. With that information, I was motivated to push myself even harder that week. I was going to prove to the coaches that they had made the right decision.
Mike was just as motivated as I was. His group got together during practice as well to discuss their starters. After his impressive punt return last week, he was chosen as the starting punt and kick returner. He was also selected as the number one backup. Just like with me, if the starting running back needed a break, or wasn’t doing well, he would be the first one out to relieve him. With four other guys competing against him, he too was happy with the news.
As second teamers, we were given the opportunity to play an entire scrimmage against the first teamers on Wednesday. The previous week, we were only allowed a few plays. This week, we were able to play a majority of the time, and got to show off our progress. We knew that even though the coaches would be paying attention to the starters, they would know if one of us stood out, good or bad.
At the end of Thursday’s practice, the head coach reminded the team that the following day would be an away game. He explained the procedure for us so that there wouldn’t be any confusion on game day. The two of us were going to travel with the team, eat with the team, and again watch the game from the sidelines with the team.
Once everyone was dismissed, the coach asked us to stay and talk with him a bit longer. He began by telling us how impressed he was with our performance over the last few days. It was clear to him that we were dedicated, motivated, and using our time wisely in the gym. He was also impressed with our performance during the game. He didn’t know what to expect from two kids who had never played football; especially after only a week of practice. He definitely wasn’t expecting a quarterback sack and a punt return for a touchdown.
His last point, he emphasized, was more important than our improvement in play or our improvement in the gym. What he was the most impressed with was the improvement in our grades. Although they hadn’t gone up too much in that short period of time, it was clear that we were making the most of our study time, and for once, we went almost the first two weeks of the school year without missing a single class. He told us that no matter how good we were on the football field, we were only as good as our grades.
Chapter 12
Just like in the first week, we skipped working out on game day. And, just like that week, we were able to parade around school in our game jerseys. We were definitely excited for our second game and a chance to get more playing time, but we were just as excited to go on a road trip with the rest of the varsity football team. It was going to be our chance to feel like real professional football players.
After school that day the team met in the locker room. Most of the guys were goofing around and having a good time. It was clear that Mike & I weren’t the only excited ones. Once we were all dressed and had our gear ready, the coach came into the locker room. He told us how important that game, like every game that season, was. He reminded us that we were men representing our school. We would be going to a new city and showing that city what an East Whitaker Hornet really was. Because of that responsibility, we were held to a higher standard. At that point, the locker room got really serious and all of the smiles were gone. We realized that fun time was over. We had a job to do.
Once everyone was on the bus, we were all quiet. Most of the players had headphones on, while others simply stared out the window, but all of us were thinking about what we had to do individually, and as a team, to come home victorious. The only noise heard on that bus was the sound of the guys eating their pre-game meals and the coaches discussing game plan.
After the short 20 minute bus ride, the busses stopped outside of the stadium. We were escorted to the visiting team locker room, which was painted pink. We quickly got dressed and we went onto the field to do some last minute drills and stretching. The stadium wasn’t very full, but I knew that would change once it got closer to game time. As excited as Mike & I were, it still felt different compared to the previous week. That week, we were two kids who had made the football team and would only play if the score got out of hand. This week, we were part of the team and could make a difference in the game.
The coach gave his usual pre-game speech in the locker room, and then we went back out to the field. I suddenly had an eerie feeling. It felt like we didn’t belong there. Instead of cheers upon our arrival into the packed stadium, we heard intermittent boos. There wasn’t a cheerleader tunnel or a large banner to run through. We went directly to the sideline. It was almost as if we were wasting the fans’ time by being there. This wasn’t fun. Once the other team came out of the locker room, they made it very clear that they were the home team and we would have to steal a victory from them.
Chapter 13
It didn’t take long until Mike got his first chance to play. Our defense held their offense to only three plays before they had to give the ball back to us. I think the other team watched the previous week’s game because they seemed ready for Mike. During our first game, no one knew what he was capable of, so as soon as Mike got the ball, he simply ran straight ahead and was never touched. Now, our opponent knew what he was capable of and knew they would have to stop him right away. Mike didn’t make it far, but at least he made positive yardage on his first play. He got another chance a few plays later when our running back lost yardage on a play and he was sent in to take his place. Once our quarterback handed him the ball, no one could catch him. Just like that, he had scored his second career touchdown.
Although he didn’t score a touchdown every time he had the ball, Mike made the most of his opportunities whenever he got called back in. I didn’t get my chance until halfway through the 2nd quarter. One of our offensive linemen needed a break so I came in for him. After a few plays of not letting anyone get the advantage on me, the offensive lineman was ready to come back in.
Going into the locker room at halftime, we were up by 20 points. The coach wanted us to keep playing our game without making any changes. We had a big lead, but he said a lot could happen in 24 minutes. Clearly, that meant that we were still backups. However, Mike would still get a few chances to improve on his punt returning ability.
We remained backups until the 4th quarter. We were up by 24 points, so the coach wanted to bench the starters to protect them from injury. I became the starting defensive end, while Mike took the role of running back. He continued to add yards onto his already impressive performance, as well as another touchdown. I was able to add a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and, while on offense, didn’t let a single opponent get by me.
At the end of four quarters, we achieved our goal of keeping the crowd quiet. We took their energy and we became the loud ones. We huddled up on the middle of their field like we owned it and no one was going to challenge us. We sang our school’s fight song, and then ran into the locker room so we could head home.
On the way back from the game, the atmosphere was just the opposite of what it had been on the way to the game. Everyone was yelling and cheering, while the coaches were bragging about their successful plays. Mike and I were even congratulated by our teammates, which made us feel really proud about our game performances. There was hope for this new twist in our lives
When the bus arrived back at school, our parents were there waiting us. As we got off the bus, the parents and families of the rest of the team broke into the school’s fight song. After the first couple of lines, the entire team joined in with them. Then, the weirdest thing happened. While Mike and I talked to our parents about the game, a couple of teammates approached us. From out of no
where, they invited us to a post-game celebration. If there was ever a time when we questioned if we were actually part of the team, that invitation answered those questions for us, and any questions from then on out.
Chapter 14
Before long, it was obvious why we were invited to that party; all of the focus was on Mike. Although I had a few good plays myself, the guys kept telling Mike that he would probably be a starter soon. That prediction came true at practice a few days later. Just like the previous week, we were given our game assignments in our small groups. I would continue to be the first backup, but Mike got promoted to starting running back and became special team’s returner.
Later that week, our team was prepped by the coach for the upcoming game. Although most of the guys already knew what the coach was explaining, it was new to Mike and I. Apparently, the first two games we played were called non-conference games. They were known as tune-up games and wins or loses didn’t count toward the conference record. Those results would, however, be counted towards our overall season record, which would determine if we would be eligible for the state playoff tournament or not. Our conference record, meanwhile, would determine which team in our conference, out of eight teams, had the best record at the end of the season with a trophy going to that team. It was a trophy that East Whitaker had only won a handful of times. Of course the goal that year, as always, was to win the trophy again, but the stronger goal was to not lose a single game for the rest of the season. That had only been done once during regular season, but had never been done during the post-season.
It was then explained that the game Friday would not only be our first conference game of the season, but could be our third victory in a row for a hopefully undefeated run. That gave our team a new motivation. Suddenly, those games had even more meaning. We weren’t just trying to win games; we were trying to win trophies while padding our team’s resume for the post season.
Preparing for that game meant getting ready for our first game in the Becker County Conference. It would be a game that would either put us on the map in the conference, or would let other teams know that we could be beat. Even though we had already achieved two victories, we were playing against teams that were equal to our level of competition. I think that’s what made Mike the most nervous. He would be the starting running back for our team during this first conference game. If the coaches made a bad decision in promoting him, we risked losing the game and could have jeopardized our season. If he did well, he would have to play at that level of expectation all season. Mike clearly felt like he carried the season in his hands. Sure, he had good games the first two weeks. But as the coach pointed out, those were against teams that didn’t have the same skill level that we had. Mike would have to have the same game experiences against the upcoming high caliber teams that he had displayed against the teams we had already played.
Chapter 15
Shockingly, that game ended up being even better than Mike’s first two games. He had 3 touchdowns, nearly 200 rushing yards, and figured out how to run back a punt return without just going in a straight line. Amazingly, that was one of my best games too. As an offensive lineman, no one got past me. As a defensive lineman, I had 2 tackles and 1 sack. For the amount of time that I had played in my life, I was more impressed than anyone with the numbers I had.
After that victory, those statistics would stay fairly constant for the next few weeks. Even though I was putting up impressive numbers, I was still a backup. I was getting stronger, but I still wasn’t as strong as the other guys on the defensive line. When I asked the coach why I was still on the sideline, even though I was displaying so much success on the line, he told me that as a backup, opponents would be unfamiliar with my specific habits. They were used to the habits of the starter, so when I relieved a starter, they weren’t prepared for me. If, however, I remained a starter, teams would be able to stop me as soon as they studied my habits. The coach reassured me that if I continued to get stronger, eventually no team would be able to stop me, and that’s when I would be trusted as a starter.
I was slightly confused by the coach’s logic, but it made more sense when I watched Mike run. Once he became a starter, opponents attempted to create defensive plays specifically to stop him. But, because of his speed and quick turns, those plays were irrelevant. They still couldn’t catch him. I knew I would soon be in his shoes as long as I kept up with my workout routines. Rather than being put off by what the coach said, I was encouraged. In fact, throughout the weeks, my workouts grew in intensity.
After winning our next four games in a row, Mike was a star. With 13 touchdowns, he was on track to break the school’s touchdown record. Fans would cheer every time he got the ball, and students would go out of their way to acknowledge him at school. Mike didn’t let it go to his head, though. We remained close friends. Even though I was a backup for the rest of the regular season, while he was the starter, our friendship survived.
As strong as our friendship was, so were our grades. Not only did we continue to work out in the early mornings, but we also continued to study late at night. He maintained a C average, while I was getting Bs. Our grades were going up, we were getting faster, we were getting stronger, and even our popularity was growing. Even though I wasn’t a starter, I was still earning a reputation as one of the team’s hardest hitters. Remarkably, I had the most tackles for loss in our defensive line group.
In the six weeks of conference play, the excitement and intensity we originally felt remained constant. As we continued to win, we were getting closer to that perfect record. We all shared the same goal of maintaining that perfect record, and we were committed to working together as a team to achieve it. Whatever we were doing in, and even outside of, practice was clearly working, so there was no need to tinker with our finely tuned machine. All that changed, however, during the last week of the regular season.
Chapter 16
It was rivalry week. That week’s game meant more than just a win. That game would be a reflection of the type of season we had. If we lost that game, we had a poor season. If we won that game, we had a great season. That game would give us an undefeated season. An undefeated season would rank us tremendously in the state playoffs. It would also be our last home game. That meant that the seniors would be playing their last regular season game at East Whitaker High School. Clearly, that group of seniors didn’t want to go out on a loss. And most importantly, that game was against our biggest rival, the West Whitaker Wolves. Beating West Whitaker would give us bragging rights, and stop their undefeated season. It would be unthinkable to let the Wolves take away our perfect season.
Even Monday’s practice started off differently. In our small groups, our coaches were more intense than usual. Their voices were louder than normal, and there was no joking around. Their attitudes made the team act seriously because nobody wanted to make those coaches mad. That seriousness led to harder hits in practice and the team seemed to be even more in sync.
Up until that game, we were on a winning streak. We were expected to win games because that’s just what we did. We were excited about games, but we had never been intense about them. The West Whitaker week had a different feel, though. It felt as if it was a playoff game and the result of that game would make or break our season. For that, we had to give it our all at practice and leave nothing behind. We had to hit as hard as we could, we had to run as fast as we could, and we had to move as soon as the ball was snapped. And anytime we didn’t do any of those correctly, it was 20 push-ups.
Our Wednesday practice even felt like a real game. The coach would get irate if the starters messed up and would make them correct themselves three times over just to make sure they did it correctly. Even the backup team was playing intensely and would also be corrected on any mistakes. It was the most intense week of practice we had ever endured. We were not going to lose to those West Whitaker Weenies.
Thursday was more of a celebratory practice. The coach wanted to remind the seniors t
hat the following day would be their last home game. We were also celebrating our last regular season practice. Although we would be practicing during the playoffs, the celebration was more of a reflection of surviving 11 grueling weeks of practice that led us to the playoffs. Finally, we were celebrating because the coach made it clear that we would not have another chance to celebrate until we celebrated the final game of the state playoffs. Once we beat West Whitaker, it would be time to get ready for round one of the playoffs. There wouldn’t be time to celebrate, and the coach even forbade any post-game celebrations.
Even at school, the atmosphere was different. The students knew how important that game was. They went out of their way that week to show their school spirit. Every student wore aqua and dark purple, our team colors. We were dismissed from school at the end of every day that week with the fight song playing on the P.A. system. The best display of school spirit, though, was the prep rally.
School was put on hold for one hour while the entire student body met in the basketball arena. Just like at a game, we came crashing through the gym doors once we were announced, and were greeted by a full audience of cheers. When we stood in the middle of the basketball court, we saw cheerleaders with their faces painted, students with their aqua and dark purple clothing, signs, banners, and even air horns. We suddenly realized that we weren’t just playing the game for us; we were playing for the entire school.
Chapter 17
Before every home game, the locker room was full of excitement and horseplay. However, before this game, the players were quiet. We looked like men on a mission. The entire team knew what was at stake and we would have to give all of our time, energy, and attention to that game. As we made it to the field for the pre-game stretches, we walked in unison. I noticed that for the first time that season, the stadium was full an hour before the game had even started.
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