When I was a kid...(Part II)

I'll suggest you read Part I before reading the following entry.

My brothers and I never did get a chance to win again the year after. Our parents were separated and my mom had decided to move out to Coquitlam where my younger brother and I stayed while my two older brothers lived with our dad. What sucked about this was that I wouldn't get a chance to redeem myself on that field, though what I didn't realize right away was that I would be able to use that event as the driving force behind accomplishing so many other things, and eventually, karma would return the favour offering up another opportunity for one shining moment.

At the end of grade nine (cue BNL), the JV football team I was on, the Banting Braves, took part in a tournament between 4 local high schools in the Tri-City area as a way to end spring training and for coaches to get a look at the team for the following year. Over the span of 2 days all teams were matched up in controlled scrimages against each other. One team would have 10 offensive plays followed by the other and every time the team scored, they would start back at the 40 until all 10 plays were done.

There would be two rounds of 10 plays followed by a third round of 5 plays. It was considered etiquitte to play your starters in the first round followed by the second stringers and then the third would be the starters or a mix of the two which basically depended on the coach and how many players he was fielding.

We managed to make it to the finals with a 2-1 record tied with the host team from Mary Hill school as both teams won semi-final matches to meet for the summer bragging rights.

The home team had the ball first and managed two scores behind a strong running game and suspect defense on our part. Fortunately, our offense also scored twice including one score on an end around I took 20 yards in to tie the game.

In the second round of plays, the Mary Hill offense didn't make any adjustments and kept their starters on the field. Our team didn't actually notice until they put up 2 scores on 2 plays against our 2nd string defense. By this time a number of the players were calling it out and I just looked up at our coach and said,

"NO FAIR! They can't do that, they're supposed to have their backups in? They're cheating!" I said wondering if would just do the same thing with our set of downs.

I looked up at coach Don McRae and he just looked at me, winked and said, "It's only a game, we'll get our scores."

What did he mean it was only a game? I don't care if it's for a league championship or a backyard throwaround, what's fair is fair especially when all the teams were obliging by the same unspoken rule.

Then I looked around and saw all the people excited for their home team taking the lead but when I looked closer, I saw parents talking to each other and even overheard one say, "Oh that's ok if my son doesn't play, it's only spring training, they have a chance to win here! They'll all get to play on defense."

I still didn't quite understand what to make of it all. I've always been competitive though for the first time I saw what an ugly head competition could rear as even parents threw the local tourney rules out the window for the right to brag about a win, even if it is only a spring event.

They ended up scoring one more TD as our coach refused to make any adjustments and as our 2nd string offense hit the field, I again looked up at him with a gesture that maybe we should do the same thing. Coach just pressed his lips together and looked on.

At least the home team put their 2nd stringers on defense and in 3 plays our backups were able to march 40 yards off of poor tackling and narrowed the gap to 2 TD's. Again I nudged the coach for us to put back our starters to narrow the gap even more. And yet again, he looked down at me and gave me a smile.

Well, he must have known something I didn't as a double-reverse on our next start from the 40 turned into a quick score.

Now within 1 TD I looked over and saw their starters coming in for the Mary Hill defense. This time when I looked up at our Coach he had this glare in his eyes and as I panned to see where he was looking I saw the other coach locked in a staring match with him. Coach McRae just put up his arms gesturing, "What's up?" The other coach just looked away.

"Now can we put in our starters, Coach?" I recall sounding like a sniveling baby.

"No. We'll play it out." There was no questioning him, he had made up his mind. "Between you and me, kid, we wont sink to their level."

Alright then. I got what he said. It wasn't about winning or losing, it was about playing with integrity and fairness. With all those watching and judging, it's in moments of decisons that outcomes were being decided. Though it wasn't the game outcomes that seemed to matter, it was about which team would be respected at the end of the day.

"But coach, don't you want to win?" I tugged one last time.

He turned, nodded and said, "Who said I didn't want to win?"

Our backups would go 7 plays and gain only 12 yards total going into the final round of five plays.

"Ok, listen up!" Coach called in the team before the starting offense made it's way out onto the field. "Don't think about those last 7 plays. In 3 plays we got 2 touchdowns. We have 5 plays, plenty of time. But first you guys," pointing to the defense, "have now got to step up and play hard and go balls out for 5 plays. Don't leave anything behind out there and hit whatever isn't purple and wrap up your tackles."

We were fired up. The team knew what happened and although we had the chance to do the same we didn't and for some reason that meant something.

"Let's stop these guys, get our boys back out there on O and win this thing. You with me?"

"YEAH" we all replied in unison piled our hands together in a tight huddle.

"Win on three, ONE, TWO, THREE...WIN!"

Our defense hit the field, pumped, and it showed as they stopped two running plays in a row in the backfield. The third play saw the home team go to the air and complete a 20 yard pass on a receiver that got by me followed by a quick out to put the home team inside the 10 for their last play.

I was still pretty upset with that prior play and started to lose focus.

Just one more play, I thought to myself. I shook my head hoping I would shake the memory off and get onto the last play.

As the QB took the snap he dropped back to pass and as the defense spread itself out, he pulled the ball in and ran a draw looking to sneak his way into the endzone. I cheated and left my receiver as I had an inside look and saw him pull the ball down.

There was no way I would catch him from the angle I had. Suddenly our middle linebacker filled the gap forcing him to the outside with a juke move right towards me. Not seeing me as close as I was I met him at the one yard line, put my head down, and drove my shoulder into his ribs as hard as I could knocking him down keeping the game to a 1 TD difference.

We celebrated, though for only a moment as Coach yelled guys to get off the field and set our offense.

With momentum on our side QB Blair Bradley called two passing plays to our tall tight end who managed to get us inside the 10. On our next play we powered the ball off-tackle and what looked to be a TD was signaled to be down on the 1 yard line.

The sense of frustration started to set in as we sensed that all we had left were 2 chances to tie the game. On the next play though, a QB sneak would put Blair into the endzone to tie the game and leave our offense with one last play from the 40 yard line.

Coach McRae called time and brought the team together, "Great job, guys! We have one more play and that's all we need." We all nodded taking in water before the last play of the tournament. Coach told us that there would be no extra downs and that this would end as a tie if we didn't score. "Let's win this. Offense huddle up."

He made an adjustment and put our 2nd string QB to start and moved Blair to tailback. "We're going to run the halfback pass." Coach looked at me and said, "Here you go, Quinto, win the game."

As we lined up I instantly thought of the dropped pass. It was so similar. Sure it wasn't for any season long league championship, in fact we weren't even playing full games with special teams or halftime. This was just a controlled scrimmage for God's sake! But with the adrenalin kicked to level 11 this was anything but just another play. I shivered trying to take a deep breath.

"Red-nineteen! Red-nineteen!"

Catch the ball.

"Set..."

Just catch the ball.

"Hup!"

The QB pitched it to Blair who looked like he was running a sweep to the right side of the field pulling in the safety and linebackers. I stutter steped and faked a block and as the defender took a step forward, I swam my left arm over and pushed him aside with my right as I put my foot on the gas and raced towards the endzone. On the run, Blair cocked back and threw the ball as hard as he could towards me now uncovered inside the 10 yard line.

Just catch the DAMN ball!

I turned my shoulder and saw the ball coming down not the tight spiral I would've hoped a pass of this magnitude to be. My defender now realizing I was uncovered was closing the gap as the ball continued to fall. I was now backpeddling watching the ball fall even closer as it seemed, again, that everything stood still.

I'm gonna catch it.

I put my arms out as the ball bounced off my chest and into my arms. I stopped and couldn't believe it and then immediately realized that I was 2 yards outside the endzone!

"Go!" I heard and turned and took two steps into the endzone just as the defender dove and pushed one ankle into the other knocking me down into the enzone.

I looked at ball...still in my arms.

I then peered up to a team of smiles and cheering and was lifted onto my feet. We may have just won the Super Bowl, it was that kind of moment and celebration. It was such an incredible feeling as I looked for Blair to thank him for the throw and didn't even realize he was standing right in front of me.

"Nice catch!" he yelled over all the hooting and hollering as I thanked him as well.

"Great catch, kid," I heard Coach say behind me. I looked up at him and saw a smile on his face that I'll never forget. I felt a wave of emotion come over me that I had never felt before. It was one shining moment.

I know now that it was so much more than just a catch and so much more than just a win. I know that our characters are built by the events that shape our lives. Most importantly it's the decisions that we make when faced with these opportunities to grow that are really what matter most.

Though I wouldn't realize it then, I was only 15 after all, this would become one of the highest points in my life and one that even now looking back, still brings upon a wave of nostalgia that I will never forget.