The punt was high. A beautiful kick, really, though much of the force went into the height and not the distance. The punt returner locked eyes on the spiraling pigskin, adjusted a few steps and put his hands in position to make the catch.
Meanwhile, a defender from the kicking team raced down the field, nimbly avoiding blockers, honing in like a heat seeking missile on the punt returner. Both ball and defender covered the space between the kicker’s leg and the waiting hands of the catcher in almost the exact same amount of time.
The ball arrived followed by the shoulder pads of flying defender. Bang! Boom! Catch! Smack! It happened so fast as to seem like an optical illusion.
The ball carrier was knocked backward, absorbing the momentum of the human rocket and sent into flight, landing flat on his back. The defender was sprawled in his stomach, a bird that had crashed to earth. Neither player moved. The crowd collectively gasped, stunned by the violence of the play.
After a few tense seconds, the defender, slowly rose to his feet and shuffled away. The ball carrier lay motionless as coaches sprang from the sidelines.
A minute later, they helped the young man to his feet and he slowly walked over to his sideline, no doubt clearing a few cobwebs as he went.
Somehow, inexplicably, as if by magic, the player still held on to the ball.
It was one of the best football plays I have ever seen. It combined great skill with even greater desire. It was a clean hit and a remarkable catch. The play hurt to watch, like watching a car wreck, but it was also indescribably thrilling. If I close my eyes, I can still see the impact, the catch, the two players colliding and sprawling to the ground.
Did I see this memorable sports moment on Sunday while watching the Chiefs? How about Saturday while watching a college game? During Friday night high school ball?
Nope. The play occurred between the Ness City Junior Eagles and the Osborne Little Dawgs during the Solomon Valley Junior Football Championship game. The players were middle school (4th, 5th, & 6th) students.
I tell this story to illustrate what I saw on Saturday night. We had both the consolation and championship games in Hill City, thanks to our Junior Ringnecks perfect 4-0 season.
I had the privilege to announce both games. In the first game, Hill City and Stockton each scored four times and dueled to a double overtime, when Stockton finally edged our heroic boys. Then I saw a repeat performance from Ness City and Osborne, with Osborne barely edging Ness.
In both games, all four teams played as hard as I’ve ever seen any football teams play, regardless of the level. Both games were filled with plays such as the one I described above. Thrilling runs and daring tackles, brutal blocking, and ball carriers absorbing punishing blows.
I wish no one had to lose, and if you gauge winning and losing by the size of heart and the amount of determination then truly all four teams came out #1. But even at the middle school level of football, they keep score, and even in a five team league, they play to crown a champion. To the fans, they may look smaller. We may refer to the games as “rec” or as “pee wee” but to the players, it was their super bowl, their national championship, and their chance at glory.
I don’t know if we as a society put too much pressure on our student athletes to perform and to win. I don’t know if it appropriate to even have “playoffs” and a “championship games” with kids so young and in a league so small. There are no easy answers to these tough questions. What I do know is that whether it was for the coaches, or for the parents, or for the pride of school and town, or whether it was simply for themselves, these players all wanted desperately to win. Their play, whether it brought victory or defeat, inspired me both to write this article and to reflect on the real meaning of success.
In their relentless pursuit of victory, these students teach us all about what it means to succeed. I am reminded of the old expression, “If you shoot for the moon, at the very least you’ll end up among the stars.” While only one team hit the moon Saturday night, the field was covered in stars.
Thank you to all the coaches and parent volunteers and to anyone who supports our student athletes. And thank you to the kids. Regardless of the score, you should all feel like winners. Your great efforts took you to great heights. That is all anyone should ever ask.
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