My Memoir

            In the year of 2012, I was 15 years old and I signed up for football for high school. I was excited and ready to go to work with training and practicing. We trained every Monday and Wednesday every week after practice at 6:30 with film on Tuesday’s. Despite all the hard work I did, I was not a starter on the team that made me feel bitter and disappointed. However, I know that you should never give up of what you want to achieve. I was positioned to play left tackle on offense and nose tackle on defense. Then one day during a special game, all of my bitterness and disappointment diminished.

On Thursday October 18, 2012 my football team Voc-Tech Bears faced the Bishop Stang Spartans. It was a cold, windy, and rainy day. The field was muddy and slippery while doing our pre-game warm ups. The sky was dark we could hardly see the bright yellow football posts. During the first half, I watched all the starters play while a bunch of us just stood side by side on the white line hoping we can get a chance to play. Our team had played very poorly as we gave up 21 points and we could not score. I can always remember the time on the third drive for us we tossed the football to our running back to the right and he missed the balled and slipped while there defense end scooped it up and ran it for the touchdown. I would never forget the words coach Methia said after that play” COME ON GUYS! WE NEED TO PLAY BETTER!” As the first half was, ending our team huddled up and said, “We need to make a comeback the next HALF!”

The second half began and we got the ball very quickly in the second half and we had to go to work. Our quarterback Austin threw a quick pass to our tall receiver Nick for a 35-yard gain. Three plays later, our running back Donavan scored a touchdown. After going for going for the two point conversion, we had to kickoff the football but they were one man short. I knew this has to be the perfect opportunity for me to show the coach I deserve to become a starter. I went on the field ready to go and determined. I ran as fast as I can down the right hash mark and luckily, the ball went to my side. I ran past the first two defenders and I was fast to fast with the receiver, I tackled him by the waste but at the same time, I managed to make him fumble the ball by hitting it with my left hand. When he fumbled it, we managed to recover it. My whole body was full of mud and wet rain, and everyone was excited. Coach Methia pulled me aside, said “Good Job Martin!”, and said you “You will remain on the Kicking Team” The offense goes back on the field and we scored another touchdown and went for two again on a run play again to bring the score to 21-16 in last minute of the third quarter . The comeback in the dark weather was actually happening.

The fourth quarter had started and both teams struggled to get first downs for 11 minutes straight. We were still down by 5 with less than 4 minutes left in the game and the other team had the ball. Coach told me to go in and play nose tackle, which is also known as the defensive tackle. The first few snaps I did not properly use the correct techniques when going up against offensive lineman. Coach pulled me aside, told me to go low and to grab the inside of the shoulder pads and drive him back. On the next play the other ran the ball in the side on my right side and I knew I have to make this play because if I did not they could run the clock out and win the game. When the quarterback hiked the ball, I did exactly what coach Methia told me to do and it worked flawlessly. I drove the center backward and then I pushed my body to the right to shed myself away from the center to wrap my hands around the running back for the tackle. I was so energetic and pumped because I stopped him from getting a first down. We get the ball back and 3 plays later we were in the redzone which is in the opponents 20 yard line but time wasn’t our friend. We had one time out left and with only 21 seconds left in the game.  We ran a toss play to the left for about a 12 yard gain but the opponent players kept our running back in bounce, so our coach had to call the final timeout. We only had one play to run till the clock hits zero. Coach decided to run a “JET Sweep Toss To the Left” which is when both wide receivers from both ends run behind the quarter back and the receiver on the right gets the ball and runs left.  The play worked perfectly during practice but during the game with rain with the field being muddy, we can hardly see anything. We hiked the ball and so far the play is working and our receiver Alex was only two yards away from scoring. Alex decided to jump into the endzone to score, which was the only way because three defenders were waiting for him on the white line. I can see Alex jumping, I saw the football crossing the white line, and we won the game!

We all could not believe we came back from 21 points to win 22-21 in the last second and could hardly see. After shaking hands with the other team coach pulled me aside “Well done, you proved yourself to be a starter”, All I could say is ‘Thank you Coach”. All I can think of after the game is what would of happened if I didn’t get my chance on the field during the kickoff, none of this possibly couldn’t have happened. Everyone deserves to have a chance to prove yourself or achieve your goal. All of my hard work during practice and weight lifting paid off during a special game to show my coach I belong here and I will never forget this.  This was a “Comeback in The Dark” for our team.