The Journey Continues

Jake's first season playing high school football, full contact football for that matter, has been a crazy ride...for me.

Him wearing Boots' #36 on his back in his first high school game meant a lot to me. WAY more than I thought it would...or should. That feels like it happened 6 months ago, even though it was only 45 days or so. Those first few games against top 10 programs in the CIF-SD where our boys were outmanned was great to watch. Seeing the courage and confidence rise like the tide inside him, even though ass kickings is what he and his team were getting. Having our first trip to the hospital to clear him through concussion protocol was not fun, but it was also empowering in a way. 

Seeing him score his first high school touchdown on an 84-yard interception return for a touch against El Camino was transcendent. With El Camino going in for what seemed like a sure TD, to make it a 3 touchdown game, Jake did what Jake does; make the big play in the big moment. It was one of those moments, as a coach, you're hoping for; the boys are getting run through as well as can't get out of their own way, but you need an explosive play by one of your top athletes to show BOTH teams that you can punch. Seeing him out run, quite easily, an entire team that had better team speed in general than we did was nothing short of impressive. Too bad those were the only points the Longhorns would muster that day.

Then came the Valley Center game. The first League game of the season. They got on the bus and traveled 45 minutes inland to a place where community and football go hand in hand. They faced a team that was as close to evenly matched to their level as they had seen. Sure, they had beaten La Costa Canyon and it was a triumph to get that first win, especially against a program ranked #2 in the Section/County. But, going out to Valley Center, the boys knew they were facing a team that was truly on their level. The game was physical from the first snap. Both teams played with a little urgency and you could hear pads clapping from blocking and tackling. After a first quarter that looked like two fighters landing jabs for 10 minutes, but neither boxer throwing any big punches, the 2nd quarter showed what the rest of the game was going to be - a slug fest.

Their QB was a big kid, about 6' 1" and built better than most of the kids on their team. He could also run a little and was starting to show that he liked to finish runs, meaning he brought the aggression to every collision. Here was another one of those moments where our team needed a big play after VC had shown they could run the ball a little with their QB being used as a weapon. They drove into our red zone relatively easily. Finally the Longhorn defense bowed it's neck a little and had not let them stay on schedule, forcing a 3rd and long. Valley Center came out in a formation that they tended to pass out of, which had Jake, playing OLB in their 4-4 look, walked off and splitting the difference between the edge and the inside receiver to the wide side of the field. We had declared man early in doing this, which meant if the first option on their pass play didn't come open, #9 was going to pull the ball down and run. Jake looked like he knew that too and he was ready to come off his man a little early. He was sitting in the alley when #9 made his move, which was to challenge Jake...head on. #36 held his ground, but didn't close his space, which put him "on the train tracks" a little. The big quarterback decided not to try and put a move on, but rather to try and dip on Jake. Our boy didn't budge, took the shot and brought that big boy to the ground. He had stopped him well short of the line to gain and the Jags were facing a 4th down. It was time to make a decision; kick the FG or go for it. Jake got up a bit slow and was helped up by a couple of our boys. Coach alertly subbed for Jake who had made the play but had taken the worst of the collision.

Here's where the special stuff started to happen. The play had inspired the Longhorns to get them off the field and take over possession of the ball on downs. After a short drive led to a punt that was muffed by the Jags, RBV had the ball again in the best field position they had in the game. More importantly for #36, it gave him a few more downs to keep that ice pack on his neck. Once we were forced to punt again and Valley would take over the ball deep in their territory, Jake threw his ice bag down, called for the defense to take the field and they followed him out there. 

Our boys continued to play an inspired brand of physical football for the next 2 and a half quarters. Neither team scored until there were only 4:00 left in the game. They struck first taking the 7-0 lead. Our Shortstop (otherwise known as QB1) led the offense down the field on our first long drive of the game, capping things off with an 8-yard TD run around left end. Our coach was set to go for two and we got it on quite a play by QB1, taking a bad snap, sprinting right and hitting our WR on the back line to make it 8-7 with about 1:45 left.

The mayhem of freshman football then took over. The Jags drove down slowly but surely on broken plays and key runs by that same QB #9. On a late 3rd down in the red zone, Jake got to meet him again, this time on the sideline intersecting at a collision point, won by #36, driving their QB well out of bounds. There was "definitely leather smackin' on that play" as the elder Coach Hyduke used to say. They got the benefit of a bad spot which gave them a 1st and Goal at the 3, but inspiration had again been provided by the shoulder of #36. Our boys would, just minutes later, stop them short of the goal line on 4th and ballgame, clinching a very hard fought win for the Horns.

In the post game interaction with players and coaches on the field, coaches were using the words "warrior" and "animal" to describe what Jake had shown on the field. I think the boys in general had played inspired football, but huge moments, where the defense needed a pop, Jake brought it.

He was tired, sore, even spent...and victorious. We all know that is one of the greatest feelings there is. 

I say that here he played his first "real" football game. Their side of the stadium was well inhabited and it was loud. He had decided early on that he was going to throw his body around. Every snap in that 4th quarter, on both sides of the ball, was intense. He had to leave it all out there, and so did all the boys. He got to get on a bus and ride home with his guys, yelling and singing the whole way. When we picked him up, you could see it on his face, those feelings had filled his glass a little bit. After a little ice and a big poke bowl at home, the Big Dog could lay back on the couch and relish in that little triumph. He was proud of his effort, proud of his leadership, and proud of his courage.

Proud, loud, football dad was pretty swollen himself.