It's Just a Game

First down and goal to go; the Vikings have driven to the Saints two yard line with five minutes left in the third quarter in this league semi-finals game. The winner goes to the Championship game. Trailing by fourteen points to an undefeated and superior team, Kenny steps up under center, checks his teammates, and barks the signals. "DOWN, SET, HUT...."

The Vikings have had a long season. Depending on your perspective, they have failed or have done outstanding. This group of seven, eight and nine year olds have come a long way in the two and a half months since the start of preseason practice. Thirteen of the twenty-four players on the team have never played football before. They lost their first five games: two of the losses were to the Saints by a combined score of 95--13. All other game were close. One game was lost on the last play of the game, but the Vikings never lost heart and continued to improve. When they met the Rams on week six they felt their time had come. They walked off of the field with their heads held high and a well played 22-13 victory, and the feeling they could win the rest of their games. After two more close losses, it was time to start the playoffs.

They say sport imitates life. If you work hard for what you want, you can achieve anything. However, the life-lessons we teach our children do not translate well into the things they must know to excel in sports. The average player at this age group weighs between 50 and 85 pounds. The Vikings have six players who come in over 110 pounds. All of their lives these young men have been taught they are bigger than the other kids, and to be gentle with them. This has proven to be the biggest obstacle the coaching staff has to overcome. These six gentle giants should be able to walk down the field pushing the entire defense, but it goes against everything they have ever been taught. The week before the Rams game, it started to click; when the playoffs start, they had lost these fears. They went into the first round of the playoffs with a new understanding and a strong desire to prove themselves. They thoroughly dominated the Redskins in every phase of the game, and earned the right to meet the Saints again.

At 9 o'clock Saturday morning, the players began to arrive. It is cold and clear, with a temperature in the mid 20's. There is a thick layer of frost on the grass, so you can see the tracks the players have left across the field. The Vikings start showing up, and there is a glow around them. Everyone could see their confidence. The coaches have told them all week they are going to win this game. The Saints are going to come in and think it will be another blowout, but it has been five weeks of hard work since they last met.

Because of their record, the Saints were the home team. The Vikings have the honors of calling the coin toss, and call heads...it's tails. The Saints elect to defer to the second half so the Vikings will receive the opening kickoff. The offense comes to the line for the first play from scrimmage, and run right up the middle for 5 yards. Several hard fought plays later they shove into the end zone, and take a six to nothing lead. The Saints coaches were baffled. No team has scored so easily on them all year. They have not been challenged by anyone, and here is a team they totally dominated twice, pushing them around.

The two teams trade scores the rest of the half, and at half time the Saints lead 25-18. The Vikings are confident. Every thing they have tried has worked. They know that if they make a couple of adjustments on defense and shut down the one running back they are going to win the game.

The Saints recieve the second half kickoff, and proceed to move their offense down the field and score. The Vikings know what they have to do, and you can see the kids on the sidelines chomping at the bit to bring this new offense back on the field. They take the ball, and take up right where they left off in the first half. They march down the field to the Saints 2 yard line. First and Goal to go.

"DOWN, SET, HUT..." Kenny comes out from under center and hands the ball off to Dunlap sweeping left. He is met at the one yard line and tackled there....but there is a flag on the play.

"Holding, number 68 offense. Ten yard penalty. Repeat first down."

You could see their shoulders slump. It was only the third penalty all day, but for some reason this one shut them down. They run four more plays and the Saints take over on their own 10 yard line.

The defense is still going strong. They still feel they can shut them down. Still, several plays later the Saints score again. They line up for the extra point. It is a quarterback keep. He goes straight up the middle of the field, and is met at the goal line by Jacob. They go head to head, and score. The defense is running off of the field, the return team is coming on. They know they need to score quick, but something isn't right. Jacob is still down in the end zone.

The head referee is a trained EMT. The Vikings coaching staff have 3 members trained in first aid. Jacob is sitting up but his eyes are a little glassy. After several minutes it is decided to move him to the sidelines and continue to evaluate him. The game will continue, but in essence it is over.

After the kickoff, the Vikings run a few plays and play is halted. The referee is concerned about Jacob. He is still down on the sideline. After consultation with the staff and the referee it is decided he needs to be checked out. He is complaining of his neck hurting now, and there does seem to be a bump on the back of his neck. As the ambulance pulls away 23 seven, eight, and nine year old Vikings are lined up, clapping and chanting..JACOB, JACOB, JACOB.....

There is 2:39 left in the game. The offense comes back on the field, and tries to mount a drive. After a couple of dropped passes, and a couple of short runs, time expires. There is jubilation on the Saints sideline, but the Vikings are very subdued. Everyone is thinking about Jacob.

At this point the coaches know that their season has been a success. If this group of kids can understand that football is just a game, and turn their thoughts to their friend and teammate, then something is going right. The loss hurts, and will for a while. The game is over, and as the players gather there are quite a few tears.

Jacob was released from the hospital a few hours later, fortunately, he was not seriously injured. The doctors checked him out, and found no sign of injury to his neck. He was up and playing with his sisters later that day.

All of the players say they gave it their all. They say they had fun. They say they will play next year. That is the definition of success for youth football.