The game is very close, everyone can feel that it will come down to the last second. Tension rises as the opposing team is driving down the field with time slowly going down. The defense knows without saying a word that we need to make a play fast or we will lose. It is third down and all I can see is the opponent and all I can hear is the roar of the fans. The whole team has laser focus as we are warming up and perfecting things with our coaches before the game. The lineman go with Coach Vicars, and he does not look like much when you look at him, not very tall or big but the way he talks, you know he knows what he’s talking about. He is poised during a game and is always in the red polo and grey pants. He talks with a calmness that makes you feel like he’s been through situations just like that and knows what to do. He pushes you in practice and knows what you can be and holds you to that level. He talks to us before the game and everyone can feel the readiness in the air, but also a calmness to it.

 We step onto the field, feel the green, spongy grass. We all run onto the field and the stadium goes crazy, it feels like the whole town is focused in on this team right now. It feels as if everyone in Bedford is looking down onto Grogan’s Towne Field and it is a great but nerve-racking feeling all at once. We stand for the national anthem and the whole stadium stands and the crowd is silent for the last time that night. The crowd goes wild after it ends and the game is about to start. The opening kickoff starts the game off and we have to start on defense. We start out well on defense but slow on offense. Flushing takes an early lead at 7-0 then go up 13-0. We go in at half down 13-7 and everyone knows we are in for a tough finish to this game, and we have to keep fighting to win. We get the ball to start the half but cannot do anything on offense. Flushing gets the ball back and takes a long drive and goes up 19-7. They try to go for the two-point conversion instead of the extra point and we stuff them for a loss, which gave us some momentum. The offense then takes a long drive and scores to make it 19-14. The opponent is on offense and they still look ready to win the game, but so do we.

 They run the ball, fake to the running back and the quarterback keeps it. He is about to get hit and tries to pitch it to another running back. The ball doesn’t get there and it is on the ground, a fumble. Time slows down as there is a mad scramble for the ball. Players from each team saying they have the ball and fans eagerly sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the call. They look to the bottom of the pile and there is a Bedford player on top of the ball, we had recovered the fumble. Our offense goes down and scores quickly and makes the game 20-19. We decide to go for the two point conversion to try to make it a three point game. We do not get it and the score is still 20-19. The defense comes back out knowing they have to make a play and ready to do it. I put my hand into the dirt, ready to make a play. The other team is making adjustments before the snap, sweat is dripping off of everyone on the field. The ball is snapped and I am the first person to move, Crack! All of the players on the line collide and it becomes a battle. I zone in on where the ball is, make a move right, the ball carrier moves right and gets swallowed up by the entire defense. The biggest play was made and now the game is over and we were victorious.

I wrote about the best story I have been through with my football helmet this year. This has a big impact on how I play because I like how it feels, am used to it, and it keeps me protected. The experience was amazing, the best football memory I’ve had so far because we were putting everything we had on the line to try to win the game for the guy next to us. This impacted my life because it showed that hard work beats talent when hard work just works harder. That is what our team did in this game against a talented Flushing team.