The day started off normal. Woke up went to school, went to some classes, nervous in others, and wide awake ready for the school day to be over. The last bell rang and I met up with my teamate as normal to go home and hang out before the game. It seemed like forever but the time finally came we were back at school in the wrestling room sitting in silence waiting for our coach to give us a speech. He called us in and gave us a speech and told us "no matter what happends today I'm proud of you no matter what." We arrived at Centennial High School and it was quiet, no one around but the other team on the field. You could feel the tension between each team. We got ready, ran a lap around the field as they did the same. They lined up on the 49 yard line in their stretch lines and we lined up on our 49 yard line in ours. My team was loud and crisp during our stretches and we listend to the other team talk. We were all together taking it all in ready to let loose on them and play some lacrosse. As it was time to go out and play the most important game of our lives our coach brought us in. He gave us a speech, pumped us up and told us it was an honor to go to war with us today, and to have fun and play with our hearts. Our faceoff man started the day off for us. It was a battle at the X all night and we fought for the ball everytime. It seemed it was going either way at times. They scored the first goal but right after we scored one to. The game was close a true battle, there was no time to relax and catch your breath because if you did, you were losing. Both defenses were playing great; the score was close and it was a battle to get the ball in the net. We got a 3 min no relasable penalty in the end of the first quarter. It was a big momentum killer but our deffense held its own. At half time were were down but we all knew we werent going anywhere. Our coach brought us in gave another speech pumped us up and we were ready again. They came out strong though and scored right away, but we didnt care. We shook it off went down and scored soon after. Defense was the game though, there was no easy shots. Both goalies were playing great. Jason Toronto our goalie had so many big saves and really kept us alive. Tim Willman one of our defenders cleared the ball and took it all the way to the goal and scored a huge goal for us. We were down but it gave us momentum and we were ready to come back. I could feel my team wanting this game so bad that we weren't going to just give in and let them take the game. We fought for the ball every second of the game. By the end of the fourth we were loosing and there wasn't much we could do. We were down and not much time left, but we didnt care it was for some of us our last game and we were going out fighting. Making a game that we will always remember, to look back and tell stories, and not feel sorry for ourselves cause we were losing. The game ended with us losing and them winning. Our coach brought us in talked to us, told us not to hang our heads beacause we wrote our own story this year. We did so much that no other Reservoir High School Lacrosse team has done. We beat teams that in the past looked right past us, not even worried. We made a name for ourselve and got respect. No one can take that away from us no matter what the final outcome was. Some say winning is everything, but if you win and dont get anything from it, then whats the point. Winning is fun and better than losing of course, but its about the journey you take along with you, the message you get from your success or failures, not the prize at the end of the road. Our coach that day told us he was proud of us and told us not to hang out heads because even though we lost, in the end we as a team won. So we walked off the field with our heads high, a smile on our face, and each other by our sides, because we will forever be the gators that made a difference when all the odds were against us.

                                                    - Bleed Blue & Orange