Both Matt and Steve are going into the season as starters. As juniors they were the front line of a sectional winning team. Behind them they had All WNY players so even when they messed up they would be fine most of the time. But going into this year they knew it was going to be a down year. Instead of having All WNY players they had first year sophomores. As seniors they had to step and be the faces of the defense. They had gone to a team football camp and the two faired very well but the youth of the team was exposed. The real season would start on a muggy monday morning in August. Compared to the season before everything was different. The team didn’t even have a locker room and they were at the middle school. The first day of practice means that “Hell Week” has started. Two weeks of two practices each day. Everyday you have to fight for your job. Matt and Steve know that they will be starters but they still need to fight. After 3 days of just helmets the first day of full contact is here. Let the games begin.
   

The first day of full contact is the best day of the regular season. Every player looks forward to it. The first practice of the day was for offense. Matt and Steve don’t play much offense but they still have to do all of the drills. After three hours in the hot sun Coach Faller calls us in and lets us know that we will have an hour and a half break. In that time the weather went from nice and sunny to muggy and humid and rainy. The guys get back to the school for the second practice. The second practice will a defensive practice, this is where Matt and Steve will exell. After doing some warm up drills, the coaches gather us up and split us up into two groups. We know what time it is, pancake drill time. After a few skilled position players go it's time for the big boys. Coach Faller calls Steve and Matt into the ring made up with big, sweaty and smelly football players.

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Steve was the starter, he wasn’t new at Sweet Home, Matt was, Steve was coming off a great JV year. Steve was at practice on a wednesday after a tough loss to the best team in the state and Coach Pappagallo starts calling out who he wants for the defense.
   

“Colon and Rodriguez in the middle. Richeal with me.” he says in his cocky tone.

Steve is very angry now that he isn't starting he has always been a starter in football he has always been a force in football. In the game against Jamestown he thought that he held his own against an All WNY player as a junior. This player was much bigger than Steve and that is very rare to see. Steve never faced a kid that was bigger than him, in his first varsity game he was facing the best lineman in all of Western New York. It was a great player to start his varsity career against. Chances are he would not see a player like this for the rest of the year. Steve knew that he didn’t play great but he doesn’t think that he played bad. For the rest of the season Steve fought his way back into the starting line-up. He had earned his time. After a very tough off- season Steve was ready to get back on the field and getting the respect he deserved.
      
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The big boys were up and ready to go. Combined without pads the two football players added up to about 625 pounds. The big boys were about to go and this is the matchup that the whole team wanted to see. Steve and Matt were two of the toughest guys on the team and they had to be. They played in the trenches where very few penalties were called. After each game they would come home and see bruises they don’t remember getting along with scratch marks from the war in the trenches and if they won they didn’t care about how beat up they are. They just wanted to win they acted as friends but deep down they were enemies.  Now it was their time to let all the anger out on each other.
   

Matt steps out into the circle from one side and Steve steps out from his side and they both look in the zone. Nothing but serious on their faces and they are ready. They both put their big hands in the wet grass and the coaches make sure that they are both are even and they aren’t cheating. They are both moved back about a half yard and they put most of their weight on their hands. Their helmets are about six inches away from each other. They are both about go head to head on the coaches mark.

The old, experienced coach screams “GO”.
    

When that happens everything goes silent. There was no more sound of the teammates around you screaming just nothing. Steve and Matt fire out of their stances like bullets coming out of a gun. Steve and Matt hit heads then it's a fight to see who's hands are grabbing the shoulder pads. Some guys are furtive when they try to get their hands inside then there are other guys that use power to get his hands inside you. Matt got his hands there first, he wins, they keep fighting and Steve is driving him back. Once Steve gets high Matt wins all he has to do is drive his legs and Steve is out of there, he would be in the ground on his back.  He knew this so he kept trying to drive his feet. He just wanted to stay low and try and beat him but he knew was doomed. Matt recovered and started driving his feet until Steve slipped and fell to his face. Matt beat Steve because Steve went down even though it wasn’t his fault. Steve was pissed that he lost.
   
    “God dammit” Steve yells as he gets up off the wet grass.
   

Steve is angry that he lost, but he knows he needs to get up and focus on the next battle of this short war.
   

“ Let’s f****** go” his teammate yells as he slaps his butt.
   

Coach Faller tells Steve and Matt to get set again. They are set, just as they both get set Steve lets out a growl. It’s something that he has been doing since middle school. It gives him a little rush of anger before he goes out and hits someone. He knows he will not lose this one.
   

“GO” Coach Faller screams in his old rugged voice.

Steve and Matt go head to head but Steve gets his hands and face mask right into the chest of Matt and he starts to his feet. Matt isn’t going down without a fight he is fighting back he isn’t pushing Steve back but he is making it tougher for Steve to put him on his back. Steve keeps driving and finally gets put on his back. Steve wins this one. Both guys are breathing heavily. They have just put everything they had into the last two battles but now they will have to really dig down. This last round will truly determine who has the heart of a Panther.

Coach Faller gives the two guys a minute to recover but Steve doesn’t need it. He is already down on the ground one knee done knee in the air and he is ready for this final battle. He knows he is better than Matt. Everyone does, but the coaches. The coaches for some reason were always so flippant towards Steve, he never understood why. It was time for Steve to show them that he was better. Steve was always counted out in life, he always went through tough times to get to where he was today. Steve is always the first guy to get back up and be ready for the next one. He wasn’t the fastest or strongest but he was the hardest worker in everything he did. That was the way that he was raised. Kids now think that they will have everything handed to them on a silver platter but in life that isn’t what happens, in life you need to work for what you want. Steve knew he was going have to work for this final win. He was going to have to give it everything he has to beat Matt and show the coaches he is truly better.

Both Steve and Matt were down and ready to hear the loud scream of Coach Faller for the third and final time.

Finally, they hear it.

“GO”
   

Steve and Matt hit heads and try to get into each other's shoulder pads. They are both hand fighting and Steve finally gets his face and hands into Matt and starts to drive him back. Matt isn't giving up. He is using all of his might to get back at Steve. Steve is starting feel himself getting pushed back. He gets even lower and drives Matt back and finally puts him on his butt. Steve beat Matt for once and for all. Steve was so happy inside he was so happy. His teammates were all hyped up but the coaches just acted like nothing happened. They just went on to the next drill. The coaches always degraded Steve and deep down it killed him but on this day he truly showed them he  was better. Steve knew that he was better all along.