If this week has been a harbinger for what is to come from the rest of our season, then this is going to be quite a year. With our first game looming over our heads and the unshakeable butterflies that were constantly fluttering in our stomachs, we knew we had to establish ourselves as a force to be reckoned with this week. The only way for us to set the tone for our year was to practice hard and, come Friday night, hit the Bridgeport Bulls with everything we had. Suffice to say we succeeded in our first official battle, and the payoff was incredible.
Our path to success was clear, we had to do as we have done throughout our preseason scrimmages and reject stagnancy. Every day we had to work to get better, never ceasing to push ourselves to our limits in every aspect of the game, from our 50-yard conditioning drills to our understanding of our rival’s offensive and defensive formations. The coaching staff ensured that our assignments were clearly outlined and that we each new what our responsibilities were in every play, and once that was certain, all we had to do was perform.
The Friday of our first game was upon us, and a lot of those little perks of being on the Varsity football team were suddenly apparent in my life once again. My day started with meeting the other Offensive Linemen at our starting center’s (Caleb Holloway’s) house. His mom had unleashed the feast and the counter was full of delicious casseroles and fruits. If there is a single way to start your day off before a football game, it is definitely talking over plays with your coach and buddies while chowing-down on some eggs and meatballs. After our meal, we headed straight for the field house to pick up our jerseys, and when we walked inside we saw the awesome decorations and posters which Connor’s grandmother had drawn and put around the field house the night before. Nothing quite makes a team want to perform like these obvious signs of support from the community, and now, we only had to deliver.
We showed up on the Bull’s turf, storming their field like our lives depended on it. Every play we tried our best to give all we had, and that effort paired with each of us knowing our precise assignments allowed us to exhibit our skill and score a smooth five touchdowns on them and only allow them to cross into the endzone once. And as we charged back onto the field in the aftermath of the game to the sound of our Alma Mater, I knew that every ounce of grit that we put forth throughout our season would come back to us ten-fold, but only if we give it all. I have faith in my team and as we approach this week in which we will face the Krum Bobcats, I know that we are going to advance in our abilities as much as possible in the next five days, which is all I can hope for.
Jake Morris #55
