By CJ Gray ’26
The Crusader varsity team (5-0) went against the No.1 ranked team in the state, the Mt Carmel Caravan. Around the state, this was being referred to as the game of the year. But as a team, we couldn’t pay attention to the media and outside noise.
We had a great week of practice, film, and preparation leading up to the game. I had the utmost confidence in myself and my teammates on Friday night. When I got off that bus and arrived on 6410 S Dante, I was nothing but focused.
I worked up a pretty good sweat during warmups. The music was playing loud, and the stands were already packed. It was thirty minutes until game time and the stadium was standing room only.
We lined up at the gates ready to take the field; lights off, cameras flashing, and crowd roaring. The energy from our team and fans was just unmatched. We took the field and it was now game time.
We drew first blood and scored on a trick play to senior tight end Colin Goggin. The game continued to go back and forth, but we found ourselves down 20-7 at halftime, but the game was far from over in our eyes.
We refocused during halftime and came out scoring first, making it a one score game. The game continued to go back and forth, but we fell short, losing 27-14. This is a game we wanted badly, but we will learn from our mistakes and come back better.
Nothing changes as we are still on a run for a state championship.
