Higher than the Hype

I've spent the past decade of my life hitting the gridiron each fall, sacrificing blood, sweat, and tears in what can only be called America's game.

The past four years at Monte Vista, my teammates and I have endured rigorous off-season workouts that start in January with 11 months of training, scheming, practicing and training again. 

Knowing what I've been through, that I've survived the trials and tribulations, gives me a sense of inner pride. Not arrogance, just the realization that all of this work makes me different. 

High school football in Danville attracts thousands, with crosstown rival games like from a scene in the book "Friday Night Lights," or movie "Remember the Titans."

No matter how you look at it, high school football generates a tremendous amount of hype, and for a player there's nothing better than having the game of your life under those bright lights.

As a freshman, I couldn't have fathomed how quickly senior year would come.

It seems like just the other day I was padding up for my first Junior Varsity game.

Now, after the hundreds of football games I've played, there's a chance I may only get 10 more. 

With only five days left until our first game against Serra, the prospect of how the class of 2011 will look in the annals of Monte Vista High School Football history looms on the horizon.

After everything I've put into this sport— the sacrificing of social outings for practice, the late hours spent catching up on homework, the bumps, bruises, and headaches, five days from now all of it gets thrown out of mind and the focus narrows down to one thing. Winning.

After brutal three hour workouts in the summer, the one thing that kept me going was the thought that there's only one thing worse than practice—losing. Nothing leaves you with a more bitter feeling in your mouth.

But as the beginning of one journey commences, the thought in the back of my mind is what am I going to do when I no longer have football in my life?

It has been such a huge part of my life for so long, I feel as if it'd be like someone pulling the rug right out from under my feet.

Thinking about the here and now, I'm looking towards the season with an optimistic eye.

I know that every game this season my teammates and I will leave our hearts out on the field.

Even if we don't achieve our goal of 15-0, there's no other group of guys that I would rather share the field with.