The noise of the arena intensifies as the scoreboard turns from 23-17 to 24-17. Don’t blink. It’s game point against our rivals Oconomowoc in the state championship on November 9th, 2019. Clapping and cheering fans pierce my eardrums. My palms sweat as I sit on the edge of my seat, thinking please make your serve. The opposing student section screams as a distraction for our server, but it’s too late. The high, keen sound of the refs whistle blows. Seconds later I feel 13 bodies piling on top of me. The stench of sweaty knee pads stings my nostrils, wet forearms brushing up against mine, and the weight of thirteen individuals seems like nothing when we are state champions. The words “and it’s sealed. Sign sealed, the new state champions, your Hartland Arrowhead Warhawks,” blast through the speakers leaving an imprint in our ears. Excitement, sadness, happiness, and pure shock runs through our veins like a tidal wave. 

None of it seems real until the weight of the trophy was in our arms. Four of us lift the trophy high above our heads with adrenaline. Everything vanishes. No fans. No opposing team. No cameras. Just us and our title. The golden ball glistens in the illuminating lights of the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I see every inch of my reflection as if I am looking in a mirror. 

Blink. 

It’s been a year since we won the championship title. However, every sight, sound, and smell seem as vivid as if it were yesterday.