When you watch a football movie, such as “Friday Night Lights” or “Remember the Titans” one can understand the struggling team always manages to achieve their goals and go to the championship. In the movies, the teams go to war on the field, and through series of hardships, learn to play together to achieve their goal of winning that war.  By watching enough of these movies, one might believe that any team can eventually earn this success by continuing to work hard. However, our team was not among the many to feel this “winning” success.

It was the year 2014, a year of new dreams was among us. Our past season was behind us but it still had an itching feeling to the back of our heads knowing it was a disaster. We had just come off a 1-8 season where we did not even feel like a team. No one cared that year and none of us even felt like teammates, let alone friends. Seniors were worried about their futures and could not wait for the football season to be over. I even recall a junior that year talking about how he could not wait for a fresh start next year. Only one word could ever come to mind when we thought about last season: disaster.  This was not about to be the case this season. We were ready. We had returned important players and everyone was hyped to make the statement that we are not the worst team in the River Valley Conference. Through the preparations all summer, and the two weeks of practice we had, the first game was the only thing on our minds until Friday.

Friday had finally arrived. We were scheduled to face the cougars from Louisa Muscatine on our home field. The air felt anxious as I walked down the hallways that day. I was scheduled to start that game as our starting X Receiver and all I felt was the anxiousness and nervousness of what might happen in tonight’s game. Louisa was considered to be one of the less talented teams in our conference, so all eyes were on us to go out and show that we are not last year’s team. After a grueling day of school that day, I went home to rest before our big game. At home the only satisfaction I got from my parents was the overwhelming cheers as they learned I was going to start as a sophomore. After what felt like ten minutes at my house, I grabbed my chicken sandwiches and left to go warm up for the game. Once I arrived at the school, my teammates were already in the locker room getting pumped up for the game. I was never much of a jump around guy so I sat on the nearest bench and just focused on what I need to do for the game. After about five minutes, I was ready to play.

We walked down the field hand in hand to show that we are all teammates and together we mean business. Warm ups were a daze as we were only focused on the sound of that first kick. When the kick finally sounded, nerves exited my body and I was ready to play. The game went by quickly and by half time the score was at an even 14 to 14. I had underestimated these guys, despite the scoreboard, I felt beat up. I had worked my butt off to this point but yet I still seemed to have doubts in the outcome of this game. With two minutes left in the game, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my football career. Our coach had sent my buddy Aaron and I to be duel kickoff returners. I could feel the nerves between Aaron and myself as this was the first time either of us was asked to return a kick. Up by seven, the cougars tricked us and kicked the ball short bouncing in front of Aaron and I.  I ran up to the ball but they were able to jump on the ball before me. The game was over. We had lost our first game.
The next six games went by having only won once vs a rival that was an easily suspected win. Finally, it was our homecoming game. The game every team looks for in their season; a chance to show the crowd how hard we have worked and how much school spirit we have. Hoping this would be a new start for us, having not won a homecoming game in six years, we were anxious yet uncertain of our playing, knowing we play one of the best teams in our conference. By the time we stepped foot on the long green grass, the air was electrifying. Screams were flying everywhere like we were down by two with ten seconds left in Super Bowl XXV. After a large pop to the sitting football, the game had begun. Unfortunately, after three plays in, the momentum changed. As I ran from my safety positon, I could only watch the ball soar through the air. The spiral was tight and right on target like a dart on its way to a bullseye, landing straight into the receiver’s hands for a touchdown. Ours hoped were dropped like wind in our sails, we knew we did not stand a chance. By halftime, the game was a daze. We were down by twenty five with the only hope that the pain would be over soon. I recall a fellow teammate mumbling “Just be done already” talking about the game that ruined our nights. By the final buzzer to end the game, most of our fans had left and we stood in embarrassment looking at the clock read 42-0.

Despite the overwhelming loss two games earlier in our homecoming game, the team felt a new sense of excitement knowing we would play a big rival on our home field. The Camanche Indians had been our biggest rival for a long period of time and nothing would make us feel better than to defeat them on our home turf. That Friday, I felt absolutely no nerves and I was just ready to go out and play. By game time, the nerves had returned after I took my first step onto the field. The air was absolutely thrilling. The two crowds standing opposite each other chanted their school spirits back and forth hoping their team would come out on top. The first half was a complete blow out. We were clicking on all cylinders, I had my first touchdown catch and we were up 28-0. At half time everyone was excited but to this day I still recall coach’s final words before the end of the half: “Don’t count them out they will try and come back.” Well, that is exactly what happened. Camanche had come out extremely strong and scored three touchdowns immediately. Finally, with two minutes left, they scored their fourth touchdown to tie up the game and send this game into overtime.

Overtime was intense. After each scoring one touchdown, we were now forced to go into a second overtime. They scored again which forced us to have to score once more. It was 4th down, game on the line our quarterback drops back to pass and threw the ball high up to our backup tide end. I watched the ball sail slowly into the hands of a Camanche defender. They had sealed the game. Our pivotal moment had failed.

The next morning was grueling. Our players were banged up and none of us could believe what had unfolded the night before. Our season was over. We lost the one game everyone wanted us to win. Our hopes and dreams were lost and we wanted nothing more for the season to be over and be able to transfer to our successful basketball team.

Our final game was among us, with one week left of practice, the season felt as slow as it has been all year. Our hopes were still down after our last game vs Camanche. Now, we were forced to finish our year with playing another good team from our conference. Monticello was a long ride from our home town of Goose Lake. By the time we had finally got there, no one was ready to play. I knew from the beginning this was going to be a long game and long it was. After two quick passing touchdowns, we knew the game was over. By halftime, the score was 28-0. At halftime, our coach gave us a fantastic speech about noticing this is the last half we will ever play together. That got us in a much better mood but we will still unable to prevail against the heavily favored Monticello Panthers, losing 42-7.

Our season was officially over. The year we expected to be our breakout year did nothing. This whole season left me in total regret. The only thing I could think about was next season and the hope we could fix our struggles. Throughout the winter however, the more I thought, the more I realized maybe I should not go out for football. Maybe it wasn’t my thing. I had decided that next year I would take the year off and focus on other things.

My winter and spring sports flew by and it was time once again to begin summer practice for the new season. We lost some important players but also managed to return some important starters. It was a new year and it was time for me to decide whether I should play football or not. Last season was a huge hit to my love for football but I realized that even in the movies, they always start by losing. Therefore maybe our time of success has not come yet. A new season was beginning and I was ready to play.