First Football Game by Carson Ward

Getting on the bus for our first football game, silence spread across the bus. I was so nervous, it was my first year of football. I had barely ever stepped foot on a football field much less ever played in game. I remember showing up at the field and going into the locker room and everyone screaming and yelling. I was the only one sitting there being quiet and the whole team looked at me as if I was doing drugs. The coach glared at me and I could tell from that moment that he obviously did not like me. So as we all lined up to go out on the field and warm up I remember feeling like my stomach dropped. I felt as if I was going to be sick I was so nervous I felt like I was in a whole different world. We all slowly walked down stairs and once we reached the end of the stair case we all sprinted onto the field. As we got onto the field we made two lines of wide receivers and our two quarterbacks threw us all some passes. Out of nowhere our coach screamed “everyone get in the locker room.” The whole team instantly sprinted to the locker room as if our lives depended on it. My teammates all sat down as I just stood there looking as if I had no idea what to do. Our coach finally came into the locker room and started to speak “The team you are playing today is fast and will beat you if you don’t hit them quick. They have beaten us every year and they don’t plan on that changing. But I know we can beat them, you boys have put in so much time and effort I know that we can beat anyone. This is one of the best teams we have ever had, and if you guys keep your head in the game we could go big places and do big things. But it all starts here, you’re only as good as you last game. I don’t know about you guys but by the start of our second game I would like to say that we are pretty good. Have you ever noticed how the loser of a game is easily forgotten over time? I don’t want this football team to ever be forgotten so let’s go out there and get our names in the paper.” Coach said. All of us huddled up and joined hand in hand to say a prayer. As the prayer ended we all lined up at the locker room doors waiting intently for coach to give us the signal to go out on to the field and do what we do best play football. As he gave us the signal we all immediately sprinted out of the locker room and to our sideline as we waited for the referee to tell us who would receive the ball first. The referee informed us that the other team would be getting the ball first. As soon as he did our coach screamed out like a wild animal all the names of those who he wanted to start on defense. Our team finally got set up to kick the ball off and right as we did the other team returned the kick for fifty yards. After that I knew that this was going to be one long game. The next play their running back had this crazy long run for a touchdown. I stand sideline as I watch my teammate’s dreams get crushed as the other teams score gets bigger and bigger. By halftime it was 28-0 we had played pretty rough, our coach yelled for us to all go into the locker room for a team meeting. The whole team walked to the locker room with their heads down. We all sat down in the locker room again waiting for the speech that we know was coming. Instead of something inspiring he came in the locker room and told us exactly what he saw “You guys our playing awful I know you guys can do better than that. You guys looked softer than Sharman out there, I’m honestly embarrassed.” Said coach. After that the whole team pretty much looked dead almost as if we had no chance, and any chance we did have was slowly fading. So we go out there for the second half and I stand sideline watching my teammates get beat up and down that field, but they kept getting up. They never gave in, they just kept coming with all they had no matter. It was late in the fourth quarter and I look at coach as he yells my name. He told me “It’s 48-0 we aren’t doing anything go out there at wide receiver and make a play, show me what you got.” I was so excited my first time getting to play in an actual football game and I knew I wasn’t going to let coach down. I ran onto the field and got in the huddle I heard the quarter back say my route I instantly ran to the line of scrimmage and got in my stance. As I was there looking straight at the kid in front of me I knew I was going to get a catch and help my team get down the field. I suddenly hear the quarterback yell the signal for the receivers to go, I sprung off like a wild man sprinting as fast as I possibly could. I was about midway through my route when I saw the ball headed my way I kept my eye on it and to my surprise caught it with a defender hanging on to me by my shoulder pads. I immediately ran him over, right as I did I saw another defender to my right I spun him out and kept running. I then got a glimpse of the biggest kid I had ever seen as he took me to the ground. As I hit the ground I looked up to see that I had gone twenty five yards down the field, and then the clock ran out.  The team was sad but we had nothing to be ashamed of we gave it our all and never gave up which is all you can do. I may have been nervous at first and I think everyone else on the team was feeling edgy. But the good thing was we didn’t give up, we learned with each play, and we gave it our best. I think it made not only myself but the team stronger as a whole.