Ok, so here is part 2 to my Football blog post. This has to be the most adrenaline moment I've ever had on the field/court in my life. It was nuts. Senior year, September 12, 2003. It's homecoming night vs Skyline, and I'm dressing my first game of my High School career. I had practiced with the team through out the week and was familiarized with the offensive system, seeing that I had been in the program for 3 years. My position was wide receiver. Skyline was a tough team that year. As for us, we we're 1-2 with that first win being the previous week in a come from behind win against Tooele. So we thought we had some momentum against this powerhouse 5A squad. Everything of that night is still clear as day in my memory. Before the game, the team was gathered in the team room waiting for our coaches to arrive and talk to us. I walked in, and as I did, I saw a ton the guys smiling at me. I nodded my head and had some confidence--ok a lot of confidence in me that we we're going to do this. For us Seniors, we had yet to experience a homecoming win. Sophomore year we lost to our rival Logan 29-16, and the next year to Box Elder 37-34. So we wanted to go out and taste a victory on this special occassion. I went around and high fived some of the players, telling them in a soft, calm voice "We got this, let's go." Coaches arrived moments later and Coach Erickson talked about playing with emotion, but yet under control, He used his favorite quote of, "Not to high with the highs, not to low with the lows, just steady as she goes." We knelt for a prayer then headed out on the field. I remember gathering at the tunnel. There were several kids yelling my name and waving at me. I didn't wave back, didn't even nod at them. I was to focused, ready to go. We ran out of the tunnel on to he field and I felt the biggest rush of excitement hit me. It was crazy. I turned to look at the crowd and it was jam packed. My parents were their and so were some close friends of mine who usually wouldn't go to watch a game. The starting lineups were announced, and the game was on.
We got the ball first and it didn't start off to well. Our first play from scrimmage was a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Our next offensive posession was a fumble and returned for a touchdown, and just like that we were down 14-0. We would recover a Skyline fumbe and return it to the house to make it 14-7. On our next offensive posession, still in the first quarter, I got my first shot. It was a run to the right side with me lined up on the left. I made a dash toward the safety to hit him, but he got to the pile quickly. One play, and I was back on the sideline. On the same posession, we reached midfield, coach Erickson calls me over and says go line up as the 'X' reciever. That means I'm the furthest outside. Now when he signaled the play it was 3 wides to the right side, but for whatever reason our QB was yelling at me to get to the left side that was nearest to our bench and line up there. I raced over and did so--then chaos broke out. As I line up, I check to the sideline for the play. We ran a no huddle offense, so Coach was signaling plays in. He threw about 15 signals at us in 10 seconds, he calls for a running play, opposite side of where I'm at. But I had a hard time focusing and here's why; As I arrived on the correct side, lined up and was looking for coach to give us the play, I heard a loud chant, and I could see the student jumping up and down in unison chanting. It got louder and louder, and I finally made sense of it-the whole entire student section was chanting "Ajay, Ajay, Ajay, Ajay....". I honestly, nearly started laughing, that was when I heard coach scream, "Ajay, get on the ball!!" I was easily 7 yards off of it, I run up the 7 yards and check with the ref who points at the field and I realize the play had begun. I ran towards the man guarding me and as the play was ending, I bumped him, he turned and said some stuff, in which I retaliated with my own smack talk. We line up again, and this time coach calls a freeze play, which is a fake count to draw the defense offsides. It didn't work. We nearly got flagged for a delay of game and so we burned a timeout. I was livid, because that meant I was coming out. I yelled at our QB to run the offense. I didn't see the field til the fourth quarter, and needless to say our offense didn't see the endzone that much either. By the time I got in, it was 56-13 for Skyline. We took the field for the last time that night and I was called to go in and run a 'hitch route', which is run 5 yards turn around and hope the ball comes to you. Once again, the ball was thrown to the opposite side, and it was intercepted ending our night and in an embarrasing way.
After the game, I was in tears. I was devestated that not only did we lose, but we got demolished. As I shook the Skyline players hands each of them gave me a hug. They knew the meaning that this game had to me, and they were very classy about it as well. Coach met with the team, afterwards we all went to the locker room--except for me. As I was making my way their, I was stopped several times by coaches, and fans alike, who all payed me nice compliments of my effort. When I finally made it to the locker room door, I stopped turned around and walked back to the field, again I was approached my many others who complimented my effort to help our team win. I went to the field, and squatted down, thinking that my dream had turned into a nightmare. A newspaper reporter than approached me and wanted to interview me. He asked me questions about my thoughts during the game, my feelings of my effort, and of our teams performance. I went to the locker room and was the last one their. I took off the weight of the pads, jersey and pants. Removed the tape from my cleats, and from my wrist. Jumped in the shower, and slowly changed into my relaxing sweats and t-shirt, arrived home and slept very well. The next day, our team went to the school to weight lift and watch film. We lifted our weights and when we arrived to the coaches office, he told us that the game was in the past, and there was no reason to witness it again. That we needed to move on, right then and their. That night I went to the homecoming dance with a wonderful gal and we had a great time. People left and right approached me, and said how fun it was to see me out there. I agreed with them. How many kids in high school can say that they had there name chanted by an entire student body? I still think of that game and though it was a horrible loss, I made a name for myself that night, and made a dream come true.
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