Remembering the Super Bowl
“This year belongs to the Wildcats.” That was the headline that was published in the regional newspaper. From the very first practice in early July, we knew it was going to be true. This truly was going to be our year. I’d say this headline was backed up by not only me, but also the other twenty four seniors. We were predicted to be the best football team our high school has ever seen or would ever see.
We were coming off a season with a Vocational Superbowl victory over Worcester Tech, an 11-1 record, being ranked the 27th best high school football team in the state, and having the 12th highest scoring team in the entire state of Massachusetts averaging thirty six points a game. On top of all of these stats, we also had nine out of eleven starters coming back from the previous year, and five out of eleven returning for the offense.
Dominating each and every game and team we played on both sides of the ball; we finished off the regular season undefeated at 11-0 and ranked 7th in the state in scoring. We had made it into the Division 3 playoffs for the first time in school history, and were ranked as the number two seed.
In the semi-final game we were set to play the 3rd seeded team Arlington Catholic. Out of all the semi-final games played in all of the divisions, the Boston Globe said that our game was supposed to be the best matched game. This was because both teams were in the top ten for scoring, so we knew we were in for a shoot out. Just as predicted, it indeed was a shootout with the final score of 48-46 in our favor.
So there we were only five days later, in the biggest game of our lives; playing for the Division 3 Super Bowl. Players, coaches, students, faculty, parents, and even all the fifteen communities that go to the school seemed to be ready for this moment ever since the very first play of the very first game. There we stood; me and my fellow captains staring into the faces of the opposing Medfield High captains just waiting to see our destiny by the simple flip of a coin.
The game started out just like any other. We stopped them with the slightest of ease, and got the ball on a three and out. We knew they had scouted us well because on their first defensive play they rushed all eleven guys on a blitz. So the very next play we faked a run and threw a lob pass that went all the way 70 yards for a touchdown.
At halftime we were up 16-12. Feeling good, but at the same time, knew not to expect the game to get any easier. The whole third quarter of the game seemed to slow down and be more fundamental. There was only one score the entire 3rd quarter. This was Medfield’s first lead of the game coming from a touchdown to go ahead 18-16.
The fourth quarter started, and we had the ball first. After the first play, we knew what to do as it went for twenty yards. Our game plan was to waste as much time as humanly possible, and then score with very little time left. This plan didn’t work as flawlessly as we thought. We scored with five minutes left and made the game 22-18; leaving them way too much time on the game clock for them to score. And that’s exactly what happened.
2:24. That’s how much time we had left to work with on the game clock. We had just let up the go ahead score to make the game 26-22.
This was when I was blind-sided. Coach looked us all in the eye and said, “Ok guys, this is your game now, you are the leaders of this team, you have proven it day in and day out ever since the very first day of practice. What do you think we should do to win this game?”
I will never forget what happened next. I remember it so clearly how as soon as his words floated from his mouth into our ears how everything became silent. It was as if there wasn’t a crowd of 10,000 screaming fans only twenty feet from us. Everything just went silent. It wasn’t as if the five of us captains didn’t know what to do; it was more like we were just so extremely shocked as to what we had just heard come out of his mouth. None of us knew what to say to this; we were all dumbfounded.
This is when I stepped up and looked coach in the eyes and said, “Coach, I know that I’m not alone when I say this, but I will do ANYTHING in my power to win this game. I know for a fact that before this game is over that I won’t be the same as going in. I will give my body for my teammates. That is what we are going to do to win this game.” Saying this came as a surprise even to me, but I knew that my words struck a cord with him and the rest of the players just as his did to us. I knew this because everyone’s attitudes quickly changed from fearful to fearless.
We were like men possessed. After the kick return e had started on our own 15, and from there we marched down the field as if there were no opposing team in front of us. That was until we hit their thirty yard line. To stop us from proceeding any farther, the Medfield coach called a time out to cool us off, and when we got back on the field they lined up in the strangest formation I have ever seen.
Their defensive linemen were lined up where the linebackers would have normally, and the linebackers we a yard deeper then the D-Linemen. It was if they were trying to make a human wall five yards from us. Seeing this I knew nothing good was going to come from this play. The ball was snapped, and I was on my way charging at them with a full head of steam, and as soon as I and the rest of the offensive line got to their human wall they all dropped down and tried to take us out by our knees.
Noticing too late, I fell for the trap, and was immediately taken to the ground. I was in the worst pain of my life, but I didn’t care. I hobbled my way back to the huddle and listen for the next play. I found out after the game that I had hyper-extended my knee, and torn a ligament.
Coach then tried sending in a sophomore to replace me; because he saw that I was hurt, but I just laughed as he came running towards the huddle to replace me. I yelled to him, “Don’t you dare come to this huddle. Turn right around, and get the hell off the field. I’m not coming out!” He froze where he stood, shocked at what I had just said. He froze for a second, as if struck with rigimortous, and just stared at me. Noticing how serious I really was he slowly proceeded his way off the field.
The very next we another first down, and we were now on their sixteen yard line with 26 seconds left in the game, and with only one time out left to use. The first play was a dropped pass on the 5 yard line. The next two were also dropped, but were tipped up into the air first by their defense. It all came down to this one last play. Both teams lined up; the ball was snapped; us linemen held steady; the defense thought we were running the ball so they blitzed. A perfect pass was thrown to the end zone…… and the ball was dropped!!!!
The biggest game of our lives was lost with only 13 seconds left.
“This year belongs to the Wildcats.” That was the headline that was published in the regional newspaper. From the very first practice in early July, we knew it was going to be true. This truly was going to be our year. I’d say this headline was backed up by not only me, but also the other twenty four seniors. We were predicted to be the best football team our high school has ever seen or would ever see.
We were coming off a season with a Vocational Superbowl victory over Worcester Tech, an 11-1 record, being ranked the 27th best high school football team in the state, and having the 12th highest scoring team in the entire state of Massachusetts averaging thirty six points a game. On top of all of these stats, we also had nine out of eleven starters coming back from the previous year, and five out of eleven returning for the offense.
Dominating each and every game and team we played on both sides of the ball; we finished off the regular season undefeated at 11-0 and ranked 7th in the state in scoring. We had made it into the Division 3 playoffs for the first time in school history, and were ranked as the number two seed.
In the semi-final game we were set to play the 3rd seeded team Arlington Catholic. Out of all the semi-final games played in all of the divisions, the Boston Globe said that our game was supposed to be the best matched game. This was because both teams were in the top ten for scoring, so we knew we were in for a shoot out. Just as predicted, it indeed was a shootout with the final score of 48-46 in our favor.
So there we were only five days later, in the biggest game of our lives; playing for the Division 3 Super Bowl. Players, coaches, students, faculty, parents, and even all the fifteen communities that go to the school seemed to be ready for this moment ever since the very first play of the very first game. There we stood; me and my fellow captains staring into the faces of the opposing Medfield High captains just waiting to see our destiny by the simple flip of a coin.
The game started out just like any other. We stopped them with the slightest of ease, and got the ball on a three and out. We knew they had scouted us well because on their first defensive play they rushed all eleven guys on a blitz. So the very next play we faked a run and threw a lob pass that went all the way 70 yards for a touchdown.
At halftime we were up 16-12. Feeling good, but at the same time, knew not to expect the game to get any easier. The whole third quarter of the game seemed to slow down and be more fundamental. There was only one score the entire 3rd quarter. This was Medfield’s first lead of the game coming from a touchdown to go ahead 18-16.
The fourth quarter started, and we had the ball first. After the first play, we knew what to do as it went for twenty yards. Our game plan was to waste as much time as humanly possible, and then score with very little time left. This plan didn’t work as flawlessly as we thought. We scored with five minutes left and made the game 22-18; leaving them way too much time on the game clock for them to score. And that’s exactly what happened.
2:24. That’s how much time we had left to work with on the game clock. We had just let up the go ahead score to make the game 26-22.
This was when I was blind-sided. Coach looked us all in the eye and said, “Ok guys, this is your game now, you are the leaders of this team, you have proven it day in and day out ever since the very first day of practice. What do you think we should do to win this game?”
I will never forget what happened next. I remember it so clearly how as soon as his words floated from his mouth into our ears how everything became silent. It was as if there wasn’t a crowd of 10,000 screaming fans only twenty feet from us. Everything just went silent. It wasn’t as if the five of us captains didn’t know what to do; it was more like we were just so extremely shocked as to what we had just heard come out of his mouth. None of us knew what to say to this; we were all dumbfounded.
This is when I stepped up and looked coach in the eyes and said, “Coach, I know that I’m not alone when I say this, but I will do ANYTHING in my power to win this game. I know for a fact that before this game is over that I won’t be the same as going in. I will give my body for my teammates. That is what we are going to do to win this game.” Saying this came as a surprise even to me, but I knew that my words struck a cord with him and the rest of the players just as his did to us. I knew this because everyone’s attitudes quickly changed from fearful to fearless.
We were like men possessed. After the kick return e had started on our own 15, and from there we marched down the field as if there were no opposing team in front of us. That was until we hit their thirty yard line. To stop us from proceeding any farther, the Medfield coach called a time out to cool us off, and when we got back on the field they lined up in the strangest formation I have ever seen.
Their defensive linemen were lined up where the linebackers would have normally, and the linebackers we a yard deeper then the D-Linemen. It was if they were trying to make a human wall five yards from us. Seeing this I knew nothing good was going to come from this play. The ball was snapped, and I was on my way charging at them with a full head of steam, and as soon as I and the rest of the offensive line got to their human wall they all dropped down and tried to take us out by our knees.
Noticing too late, I fell for the trap, and was immediately taken to the ground. I was in the worst pain of my life, but I didn’t care. I hobbled my way back to the huddle and listen for the next play. I found out after the game that I had hyper-extended my knee, and torn a ligament.
Coach then tried sending in a sophomore to replace me; because he saw that I was hurt, but I just laughed as he came running towards the huddle to replace me. I yelled to him, “Don’t you dare come to this huddle. Turn right around, and get the hell off the field. I’m not coming out!” He froze where he stood, shocked at what I had just said. He froze for a second, as if struck with rigimortous, and just stared at me. Noticing how serious I really was he slowly proceeded his way off the field.
The very next we another first down, and we were now on their sixteen yard line with 26 seconds left in the game, and with only one time out left to use. The first play was a dropped pass on the 5 yard line. The next two were also dropped, but were tipped up into the air first by their defense. It all came down to this one last play. Both teams lined up; the ball was snapped; us linemen held steady; the defense thought we were running the ball so they blitzed. A perfect pass was thrown to the end zone…… and the ball was dropped!!!!
The biggest game of our lives was lost with only 13 seconds left.
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