[font="times new roman"]
Everyone knows the game of football. My football team is not number one in the state or even the region, yet the Kennesaw Mountain High School stands are always overflowing with screaming students cheering for their team. Last Friday night, we played a rival match against a team that had no losses while we had only one win. We had never beaten this team in the school’s history and no one believed we would this time.
This is not; however, the whole story. The entire week before, not only the coaches and players, but also the students were making a huge deal out of the upcoming game. Our team captains were extremely excited about it the entire week and made it very clear that every one played an integral part, and everyone had to play it perfectly. It was made very clear to me, being the kicker, that there was no room for error. The head coach, Coach Jones, told me, “You gotta be automatic…you know what I mean, because if you don’t, you got bear-crawls on Monday.” We had our best week of practice and we all felt a big win coming against our biggest rival.
Harrison has a very good team with an amazing record, but they have the worst sportsmanship. Opposing teams get spit on, food thrown at them, and derogatory comments are heard everywhere. Their team can be even worse than the fans. They had all but two of the penalties and even more uncalled penalties. Even though they are not the nicest team, they play a very good ballgame.
I am the place kicker for the Mustang’s football team. My performance, usually, has no affect on our team’s victory or loss. This was not the case for our last game. The score was tied after a gut-wrenching first half. Both teams gave it their all for the rest of the game, but neither could break the tie. After the first round of over time, the score was 14 – 14 and everyone knew both teams were far from giving up. Harrison got the ball first in the second overtime and scored almost right away; but our team was prepared with counter-attack and scored again, tying it up again 21 – 21. In our third possession, we failed to get a first down. The pressure was all on me as I went out to kick the field goal to put us up three points. As I went out, the defending team barked and yelled. I took my steps back, the ball was snapped, I kicked the ball, and watched it soar through the uprights. Now it was their chance. All Harrison had to do was score another touchdown to win their homecoming game. On their first play they got a first down. On the second, they fumbled and we recovered the football and Mustangs Win!
As a kicker, all of these things can affect how you play. This game was a very important game and I knew I had to play my best. I worked through the pressure, the emotions, and the disparaging comments. I had my best game that night and it was the most euphoric feeling in the world. We won the “Battle for the Bell” trophy for the first time in school history. My team played an amazing game, and I kicked the game-winning field goal. Through diligence, patience, and teamwork, I will always remember achieving what was never through possible.
[/font]