To a neutral observer, they’re just another team.
They’ve had good years, bad years, and everything in between, but one thing’s been constant over the last decade – they could always count on beating St. Mark’s.
It’s happened in many ways: double-overtime heartbreak, stunning blowouts, offensive fireworks, defensive stands. But at the end of every football season for the past 10 years, the Lions suffer a rivalry loss, hug their brothers, look out over the field, and hang up the pads.
Practices intensified before this game like every other year of my high school football career. After a humiliating road loss against EHS, we knew we couldn’t focus on the numbers, especially ESD’s deceiving record of 2-7.
We encountered a few hiccups in the days leading up to the game – illnesses, injuries and our game signals being compromised.
Everyone stayed locked in on our goal, not worrying about what they would do.
During warm-ups, I saw both familiar faces and strangers across the 50-yard line. The players might have changed, but the cheers and taunts always remained the same. The line between excitement and nervousness blurred as kickoff approached.
The ball was kicked, and the game began. The first quarter started like the last three years: the offense struggled to get going, and a surprisingly strong rushing attack led ESD through our defense for touchdowns. With three minutes left in the first half, we were down 21-0, and a familiar silence settled over the sidelines and the crowd.
Then, something clicked. The team collectively decided, “not this year.” With our backs against the wall, we pulled out our own version of the “Philly Special,” and the touchdown toss from receiver Mateu Parker to quarterback Lawrence Gardner got us on the board, down 21-7.
While the scoreboard still looked bleak, the energy had totally shifted. In the locker room, a strange air of confidence lifted our spirits.
After halftime, a lightning-fast touchdown drive brought us within one score.
We entered the fourth quarter tied. After some of the most exciting back and forth football we’ve played, it came down to a 2-point conversion attempt. We stopped them.
I’ve never heard Hunt Stadium so loud. Everyone from the defensive players who made the stop to the parents in the back row of the bleachers was ecstatic. We recovered the onside kick attempt, and the game was over. St. Mark’s 28, ESD 27. We had defeated our rival.
We celebrated as a team and with the fans, of course, and the seniors posed for pictures in front of the scoreboard, but the true meaning of this victory didn’t really hit me until I checked the SuperFanMen Instagram page that night. When I saw alums who graduated a decade ago celebrating the victory, it dawned on me just how tight-knit our community is. All the congratulatory messages I got from former teammates now in college showed me that this win was for all 10 of the teams who lost before us, many of which I’d been a part of.
While I’m sad my football career is over, I couldn’t have scripted a better way to go out. No matter what happens going forward, we put on a hell of a show on Nov. 1, 2024.