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Matthew Davis

Mr. Arnold

English 1101

7 September 2010

Significant Event Paper

The Game of My Life

“Wow” what are we doing right now? That is what was going through my head at

halftime of the biggest game of my career. I couldn’t help but remember all the critics of this

year’s team and how they would say we wouldn’t even come close to this stage, let alone win

it. Being underdogs all year was something that thrived within us, and was something that gave

us the determination to be as good as we were. Now we’re here and were doing this…. I just

couldn’t help but think of how far we’ve come to get here, and all the blood, sweat, and hard

work we had put into it. It was eating me inside like a tapeworm, especially considering what

we had done the previous week to get here.

That game was the Western Finals at Lineberger Stadium. It was the night our team had

been waiting for all week. A week of excitement, uncertainty, and anticipation; something we

all had hoped and dreamed about all season. The night that would determine our fate in the

playoffs, as well as to seek our revenge from a sour defeat by West Rowan the previous year at

the same stage. We had made it to the Western Finals and tonight we were not going home

losers like the year before. As we stepped on the field that night waiting for the kickoff, the

fan’s roar in the stadium made the ground under us shake. We knew we couldn’t let them

down again.
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We fought nonstop for 48 minutes; both teams went back and forth til the end. Anson’s

comeback in the fourth quarter was making me feel sick, thinking that were going to lose again.

But after a great defensive series, we stopped them and after a tough game against Anson

County, with a score of 35 to 21, we had accomplished our goal. We were going to Chapel Hill

to play for the State Championship. Our fans, family, and the team ourselves were all ecstatic;

we were the team everyone thought would never make it this far.

The week leading up to the State Championship Game was so crazy. Our coaches were

really pushing us to the max in practice. I never remember a week as hard as that one in my

three years of wearing that red helmet. The town was buzzing with excitement, and the school

was showing us so much support. The Friday before the game we had a pep rally to get our

student body pumped up and ready. Of course our principal and our almighty head coach gave

inspirational speeches, which gave the team a sense of love and appreciation from the school,

the town, and the county. As the rally ended the team and I packed up our gear, our shoulder

pads and helmets and loaded up on the bus one more time and hit the road, and for us seniors,

it would be the last time we would ever wear red and black and play for the South Point High

School Red Raiders.

We finally reached our destination, and I was overwhelmed when I saw the beautiful

scenery of Kenan Memorial Stadium. The lush green grass, the huge stands, the beautiful

fieldhouse, it was nothing the team and I had ever experienced before. As we all waited inside

the locker room, some of us including myself would catch a glimpse of the stadium getting filled

up with our fans, and the more we saw, the more our adrenaline in our body was raging with
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excitement to take the field at the biggest stage of them all. About fifteen minutes later our

coach comes in and tells us to “put em on boys, it’s showtime.” That’s when I knew it was time

for the biggest event of our lives to date.

As we took the field the cold air hit me like I was on a motorcycle riding through the

Artic, it was the coldest game I had played in yet. My hands and feet felt like they were numb to

the core and every time they got hit the pain was unbearable. When we took our helmets off,

our heads had steam coming off from our body heat rising as we were warming up. The

weather wasn’t the best and we knew that we would have to adjust to it because if we didn’t

our offense could be in big trouble considering we were a run first team and cold hands could

play a huge role in the carrying ability of our backs, and if not accounted for, it could easily cost

us our State Championship rings.

As we completed our warm-ups we all headed back to the locker room one more time

to hear the coaches’ last pregame speech of the season. It all came down to this very moment

and as we left the locker room, it all hit us like a ton of bricks as we realized that this was it,

what we’ve been dreaming about since the season began.

We took the field leading up to the opening kickoff and the fans for both teams made it

feel like we were playing for the Super Bowl. Approximately 20,000 fans were there for this

huge moment in our young lives. The echo of the fans could’ve been heard from miles away.

The ball soon kicked off and we were under way. Both teams in their first drives turned the ball

over in pretty miserable fashion. Our second drive was a lot better as we scored and went up 7-

0. Then chances came and went for us and the South Johnston Trojans capitalized as they soon
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were up 28-7 with about 5 minutes left in the first half. We soon realized that we had to score

before half time to at least give us some confidence going into the second half. On our next

drive we did and the score was 28-14 as we hit the locker rooms for half time. But as soon as

the first half buzzer sounded I couldn’t help but feel lousy after this past 24 minutes and what

had expired. So many negative thoughts were buzzing through my head and I just kept

thinking… “Were those critics who said we would never win it all actually right..?”

As I sat in the locker room during halftime I tried to keep my composure and listen to

the coaches’ speech but I was too busy having the feeling of doubt that “wow” have we really

just screwed up our chances of winning it all….? We’ve come too far too be doing this. I felt

miserable at the half, but I tried my best to regain my composure and listen to the coaches’

speech. He gave a great one about how we’re a family and families have to stick together and

be there for one another through the toughest of times. We had been in this situation before

and won, why can’t we do it again? We took all that in and hit the field for the last time that

season, and boy what a difference halftime makes.

The second half was like a rebirth of us. We came out and right away stopped them on

their first drive. Our defense played phenomenal and shutout South Johnston to no points the

second half. While the offense and I, scored on every drive and ran up the score scoring 35

points in the half and having our fullback who I blocked for, pass the county record for

touchdowns in a career in that game. We went up 42-28 with 3 minutes left and we could feel it

in our hearts that “Hey, were three minutes away from winning it all.” While they were driving

they got to the 10 and were about to score. I just kept thinking “Are you serious?” this is how
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this game is going to end. We’re gonna let them come back and win after all we had done the

last 21 minutes. As soon as their quarterback setup I had butterflies in my stomach. I knew

exactly what he was going to do and I just couldn’t look, it would kill me to see it. The ball then

snaps to him, it was the longest play I had ever watched in my career. He cocked his arm setting

his mark on his favorite target. As he let it loose and the ball was moving through the air, a

million thoughts about everything that could happen went through my head. The ball got closer

and closer to the receiver and our cornerback who were fighting to see who would win the

battle. They both jumped up to get it, and what I saw made me jump up in the air screaming….

With joy. My teammate Jalen Porter, our cornerback caught the ball for the interception and

was running down the sideline. It was like a thousand pounds was lifted off my shoulders. We

had done it, we were state champions. My teammates and I, the coaches, the fans, everyone

that was there that night for South Point was going crazy, easily the loudest applause we have

ever gotten. No doubt it was easily the best celebration I have ever been apart of and I’ll never

in my life forget that special moment. I mean being able to hoist that state championship

trophy that we had been eyeing ever since we got to South Point was literally a dream come

true.

On our way back home that night I just thought back to all the people who

underestimated this team going in to this season. Former players, townspeople, even some of

our own family doubted we would ever be as good as we were, some thought we wouldn’t

even win 4 games, every game we went into that year we were underdogs and even though we

didn’t go undefeated (14-2), we did show them up in the end and won something that had
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been so significant in our lives, the State Championship. So to all those people who ever

doubted us, all I have to say now is….. What do you think about us now?
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