One of the greatest things about today's world is the ability to fill us with a sense of disbelief. Our lives have times that make us stop and "That was amazing! How did it happen? " In my own life, there were few times that filled me with such awe as my experience of witnessing my very first SLUH varsity football game.
On the glorious day of Friday, September 8th, 2006, I gathered with my classmates to watch the first home game of our school's football team. We, the freshmen class of 2009, were covered in blue paint, the glorious tradition of St. Louis University High. After a day of bonding activities and charging into the student section of the stands, we were left to scream, cheer, and watch the football game against Belleville Althoff. The game tied at various scores throughout the game, came down to final seconds to decide the winner. With 26.5 seconds left on the clock, Belleville scored taking the lead 35 to 33. Now Belleville was going crazy feeling they won after a hard game. But, SLUH now wasn't giving up. Earlier in the game, SLUH scored a touchdown by double pass from Paul Chaney to Eric Hunt to Eric Troy. With about seven seconds left, Althoff thought that SLUH was going to do the same play. Instead, Chaney passes it to Hunt behind the line of scrimmage, who threw the ball back to Chaney! Chaney streaked down the field with tremendous speed for a touchdown and the greeting of the entire student body charging the field.
Where does wonder come into play in this story? There is amazing fact that this team didn’t give into defeat when everyone thought the game was over. There is the sheer awe we see when confronted with the beauty of the perfectly executed play. There is the excitement of an entire school when the team wins at the last second. There is the greatness that now goes with the players, the living legends who humble us all because we probably could never do that. Not only is there this beauty, awe, and excitement that goes with the game, there also is the curiosity of the great mystery of the play. How did Coach Kornfield know to call that specific play? How could eleven individuals produce something so complicated and spectacular even under pressure from the opposing team and the clock? If a single man misses a block, makes a single mistake, the play is ruined. Eric Hunt had less than two seconds to throw the ball, how could he react so quickly when men are running at you? Why did this game happen to fall on freshman fun day, one of the most spectated games of the year? How could one game become so legendary that it is talked about even today, three years after it happened?
We will never be able to fully understand some of these questions. This is what makes it amazing. To some these players are icons. Personally, this is my inspiration for wanting to play varsity football. This is an awe-inspiring event filling me with enough wonder I don’t think I will ever forget it.