It’s a Thursday night, and I’m naturally in the locker room promptly getting my pads on properly preparing for my first varsity football game. I don’t know what it’s going to be like when I go out there, so I’m preparing myself physically; mentally; emotionally, for what's about to go down.

I look over next to me, and I see Logan; my friend; my teammate. It is his first year playing football, and he is learning merely as we all are. He is from California, where they have high school football teams that like to pass the ball and play more of a “pro-style” game. He doesn’t identify with the type of ground and pound history our school has; he is excited just like me and the rest of my team are.

 I know the team we are about to play is good but I thought we were better; all I can see is my teammates; I smell the raw odor of extensive work and dedication. I walk outside and struggle to stretch my cleats over my feet; I fit my newly painted helmet over my head and start walking to the field I’ve been playing on since I was little. We walk through the baseball field; the nice plush fine-tuned grass, and we walk out onto the track, I see my teammates, but the stands look as if it was the Sahara Desert; not a soul in sight.

    I see the fresh cut and painted grass, and I realized it was here. I can smell the nice grass smell; I see all the trees, the scoreboard, and most of all my teammates and I preparing to go to a war with no looking back.

One by one I see the fans; hungry for a good football team, start walking in the stadium; I realize it’s at long last here; my first varsity football game. We begin to stretch and are excited; knowing that no one expects anything from us this year; we acquire a lot to work for.

It is a crucially meaningful game, not just for us, but for our community as a whole. After stretches we begin with our pregame stuff; who to block; what play we are going to run; what technique we are supposed to use, and a little bit of motivation to get us fired up. I feel as if something is unright, but I have enough confidence in my coaches and my team, that we will do our job and win.

 The excitement filled my body as we walked out of the high school; seeing the stands filled and kids running; playing football as we walk up the road to the field. We walk through the gate, rusted and beaten, as it has stood for many years. We touch our rock signifying we are panthers; we always will be, and to never forget the ones who came before us. The younger kids make a tunnel for us to run through; I feel as if I’m a part of something bigger than myself and better than anyone; I was completely wrong.

I guess God had other plans for us that day; everything bad imaginable, happened. Even from the opening kickoff when we got the ball, it was visible we had problems. As soon as the offense went out there to start the game it was three really bad plays and a punt. Ok, so defense goes out there and I know our defense is good. But three plays and they have a 45-yard touchdown.

At this moment I am feeling anxious because I feel like the starters aren't playing as good as they could be. I think we got this, but four drives later it is 28-0 and we are losing; that is only just after the first quarter. 12 minutes later it is halftime and we are down 35-0. Our coach gives us some motivation, telling us “we aren't executing but if we do we can beat them.” We go out there and put up 16 points in the third quarter.

We acquire some momentum and I can feel happiness arising inside; I think we are going to mount a huge comeback; my teams of the past have, and I believe we can do it again. Like the whole night, the complete opposite happened; I feel devastated as they produce a few quick scores, and it's the 4th quarter down 51-16 and coach tells me I'm going in. All the emotion and complex work I put in led to this moment, and I’m prepared. I go in running across the torn up grass and run into the huddle.

The play is called and I get set; I look to my right and my friend Logan is right next to me he also looks back at me; we realize at that moment that I am looking at the future of my team as he is while he looks back at me.

The center snaps the ball, and the play makes it our way. Logan stands the defensive tackle up, while I crash violent to the inside and force the defender out of the way and we secure an extremely nice double team; our sophomore halfback runs right behind our butts; I hear his footsteps as he runs the ball for about 15 yards.

A few plays later the game is over I feel utter pain and defeated as we lost big. We high five and handshake the other team then we move on to the next team. I talk to Logan after the game; “Is that really how it goes in football, that’s really how much teamwork can do?” he proclaims.

I answer with “Yea, I've been playing football for a long time and the only way we have ever done anything is teamwork.”

When he replies with “I want to be on your team till the day I die.”

I tell him “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

That was the day I felt a part of an actual team and the day that changed my life.