Over the past week I have had to witness three sport’s seasons
come to a close. Three sets of seniors playing their final games in
their respective sports – their prep careers in those sports now a
thing of the past.
Over the past week I have had to witness three sport’s seasons come to a close. Three sets of seniors playing their final games in their respective sports – their prep careers in those sports now a thing of the past.
Each team, the GHS field hockey, girls volleyball and football, had seasons to remember, all making it to the postseason. Although the end results weren’t what they had probably dreamed about and imagined over and over, the lasting memories they will forever have with them as they begin to part ways and start down a path that is wide open – with endless possibilities that will eventually mean much more than the final game they played.
Saturday night was a particularly tough night for the Mustang football team, to say the least. It is perhaps one that can be described as forgettable. But, the game itself will probably stick in the backs of their minds for a while.
There were tears and hugs, and even a few smiles as the group of boys who went through months and years of grueling practices, ice bags and medical tape, congratulated and consoled one another after the game.
Three words were thrown around throughout the entire game, and even after it was all said and done: pride, character and heart.
Those words are spoken often in athletics but they seem to carry much more weight and significance at the high-school level. It is so much easier to back down from adversity and give up when things are difficult and there seems like no way out of a hard day at practice or after a rough game. And unfortunately, some do. They walk away and never think twice about it. However, for those who stick it out, the rewards, beyond simply winning, are immeasurable.
“We had a lot of players that fell off,” senior running back Tommy Silvas said somberly. “When it came down to it, we found out who our family was, who our brothers were.”
The Mustangs could have easily folded during the game, but they didn’t. They continued to fight and scrap and make plays. The better team came out on top. It’s as simple as that.
“We talked about it all year, how do you approach the game?” Garcia said. “There are obstacles in life. I know there are tears in their eyes. This is a life experience. You can’t let it burn forever. Just don’t give up.”
For some, this is the end of the road as far as the sport is concerned. But this does not have to be the end of opportunity and success and accomplishment.
“Hopefully it’s not over for a lot of us,” Silvas said. “When you see a herd of Mustangs they stay together, they are a family.”
I will never forget being eliminated from the Central Coast Section playoffs my senior year. Our baseball team went into the postseason ranked seventh by the San Jose Mercury News. We went undefeated in league and we knew we were good.
After being slammed back down to Earth in the second round, it was instantly all over. It stung at first and at that age it was hard to fathom that something good would ever form from such a terrible day. But looking back, when the topic of that season springs up, when I feel like being nostalgic, I hardly mention the loss. I tend to share stories such as how we all ate a raw egg at practice one day, the nicknames we would give each other and the songs that played as we went up to bat.
The memories and the bonds built through four years of being teammates can stand the test of time, but the significance of a loss will fade away.
