The Last Game

Early in my senior year, I remember standing on the field on Friday night during the playing of the National Anthem by the Marching Aggie Band. I watched the flag climb to the top of the flag pole. Then I looked up into the night sky. At that moment I realized something. Soon, this would all end.

The inevitability of it all suddenly became so real to me. So, I decided to grab on to what I could. I soaked up that moment. I captured those memories and locked them away. And, I made it a point to repeat this during every game that season. Once the flag reached the top of the pole, I stared up at the moon and stars determined not to let anything ever take this away from me. Even now, so many years after our devastating second round loss, I can always find my way back. From my seat in the bleachers, I watch the flag wave and then look to the sky. Only now, I close my eyes. And there I am. In the Victory Line on Upchurch Field wearing the red and black. Ribbon in my hair, poms in my hand (red in right), and Aggie Pride(and now Bobcat Pride) in my heart. That's how big this is.

Nothing in life can ever compare to the experience of being under those Friday night lights. The problem is, most will never truly understand the magnitude of it all until it's over. At the end of every season, I witness a heart wrenching scene. The end. I see young men stand face to face with the realization that they will never again walk out onto that field in that uniform. It's over. You can't get it back. It's too late. You see it in their faces, the sorrow and the what ifs. And every year I think - if you could take this disappointment, the horrible feeling, and bottle it up so that the seniors next year would remember it, what a difference it could make. But you can't.

The season is long. By now, our Bobcats are battle-weary and bruised, but the fight is far from won. Somehow, they have to look within themselves and find whatever it is that makes them give their all week after week after week. The road to the championship is a daunting one. It may seem, at times, like it would be easier to give up. But, how can you give up now? The thing you've been working for since May, the thing that seemed like a far-fetched impossibility back then, is 4 games away. Already, only 16 2A teams get to take the field tomorrow night. We are among them. And make no mistake about it, those who aren't playing would give anything to trade places with us. They would gladly practice all night in the cold rain to get to suit up one more time. It's over for them. Are we ready to join them?

Tomorrow night, our Bobcats face a Fyffe team that is sick and tired of the 2A Region 5 team ending its season. They aren't ready to turn in their jerseys. They aren't ready to quit. They will make the nearly 4 hour trip to Woodland, get off that bus, and do their best to make sure they aren't the ones with tears in their eyes and broken hearts at the night's end. What are we going to do about it?

Seniors, you'd better soak up every second of your last game ever. Or you'd better do everything within your power to make darn sure it's not the last one. Bobcat pride never dies, but championship hopes can. It's your field. Your game. Your call. Are you ready for it to be over?