I played and loved the game of football. My brother's Mark and Simon also played on the same team and we were undefeated the whole season in the summer of '85. We were called Team Blue - Army & Navy and in the final game we were playing the Green Team - Honest Nat's. Both teams were sponsored by local companies, hence their names on our jerseys.
Though before I learned anything about sports marketing, there were these weekly battles that were played out in the parks in South Vancouver that showed me what it was like to win. Sure I had already had a competitive drive by this time; I'd grown up with 3 other brothers, all of us less than 6 years apart. Many times were we driven by competition whether it be for toys, clothes, or attention.
On the field, however, the Q boys took over. We brought a together-ness that brought about comments from fans, "Those kids are like the Stastny's...they're all going to be great players when they grow up!"
Our team enjoyed winning week in and week out. We had plays designed around Mark running sneaks around defenses as he was the most athletic out of all of us. Simon would get out in front and lay out the key blocks and when Mark wasn't running the ball, he was throwing it to me who always seemed to manage a quicker step over my opponents. We even had our cousin Jimmy on the team in the backfield that had a stutter step that left kids tripping over themselves most of the time.
During the regular season, we won both our games against the Green team. The first game we won by a couple of scores, but the second one was a lot closer. Playing CFL rules, the game was in fact 1-1 with less than a minute remaining. It was quite the defensive struggle...though more the fact that nobody could catch a pass and both teams running backs had game-ending injuries. One score game from a missed FG while the other was a punted ball that took some kind bounces through the endzone.
With the game on the line, Mark took the snap and from the ten yard line just punted the ball over the endzone and onto 57th Avenue scoring yet another single point. Game over, we won 2-1...yes, a football score...more like a European football score.
The final game though saw some touchdowns being scored and with less than 30 seconds left in the game, the Nats were up 13-8. They had two scores with one of them unconverted while our team scored a converted TD and a single. We were on the 25 yard line going in and coach called timeout as we were signaled that our next play would be the last play of the game.
Coach drew up a spread offense with Jimmy in the backfield overloading 3 receivers on the left side including myself. Bunch formation, two posts and out-and-up. Pass to go to one of the posts. I was the out-and-up.
After the time out, Mark looked at me and Jimmy as we ran back out to the field.
"Go line up out right. Jimmy, go take his spot in the bunch."
Jimmy hustled out to line up along with the rest of the offense.
"What are you doing?" turning Mark around by the shoulder.
"Just run to the corner of the endzone and catch the ball," he said looking intensely into my eyes.
Just catch the ball.I didn't have time to think it over. I lined up as the defender locked into me with one-on-one coverage. I looked at the offense lining up as Mark began calling out the snapcount. I glanced to my defender who looked as nervous as I felt.
Just catch the ball."Red-16, Red-16!"
Just catch the ball."Set! Hup! Hup!"
I ran to the defenders left shoulder and as he began to cross his left foot over his right I shifted and went around his opposite shoulder and breezed right by him as he stumbled trying to switch back. He was out of the play, I was a good ten yards ahead of him.
Mark looked to throw to the play developing on the left, but turned away and following a crushing block by Simon to set him free, Mark bootlegged out to the right side of the field.
Just catch the ball.
As he was just about to be sacked he launched the ball into the air, a perfect spiral headed towards the right corner of the endzone. All I needed to do was take a few more steps to get to it and make the catch. I was so ahead of the play and my defender was so far behind that I could actually get there, turn around, catch the ball and still the defender wouldn't be in the endzone!
Just catch the ball.I looked up in stride and watched the spiraling ball as it seemed to slow down along with everything else around me. This was my shining moment after the undefeated season and now here I was to win the South Vancouver Football Championships! All I had to do was catch the ball and we won.
Just catch the ball.
As it came down though something in me froze. In an instant I panicked as I turned around in the corner of the endzone and put my hands up to catch the ball now speeding towards me faster than anything I had ever seen! And in a blink, the ball slipped through my hands, bounced hard off my shoulder and landed with a thunderous thump on the green grass.
I fell to the ground and could not stop the tears. I looked over at the ball as if it were the most evil looking thing I had ever seen. I curled up and pounded the ground in mercy. It was unbelievable. I looked up once more to see the Green team celebrating which tore yet another piece of my heart out.
Out of nowhere, Mark appeared and told me it would be ok...that we'd get them next year and that it wasn't my fault. But I didn't hear a word he said. I just jumped on my bike and rode home where I balled in a corner of my house on 61st and Ross St.
I was only 11.
And at 11, I learned that I would do whatever it took to never feel that pain in losing again.
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