I was absolutely thrilled that he had decided to make such a big commitment to take on something so very far outside of what was normal for him. He stuck it out, all the brutal practices, the being yelled at by coaches and the hours standing around in full uniform at each game without being called in to play. He played a total of about ten minutes that year and decided not to go back the next year.
And then out of the blue he told me once again this last summer that he was going to give football another try. Once again I was very surprised and very proud of him. He then endured the summer football camps weeks of punishment and derision and was placed on the starting lineup as the offensive right tackle. From the first game on he was in every play as a starting lineman, often being pushed back in to play both offense and defense.
Last weekend was the playoffs, HPA vs Konawaena high school, a much bigger and more experienced school by any measure. Though the HPA boys came within one touchdown of beating them earlier in the season, this Saturdays game was not to be theirs. Konawaena came out strong from the start, scoring two touchdowns in the first ten minutes of play.
A somber halftime showed HPA down 35 to 14. They played hard but found them selves overmatched and outplayed. The mood during the halftime break was a combination of stunned disbelief and confusion. They had been getting better and better each game of the season and couldn't believe that they were being so dominated by this Kona team.
They tried everything in the second half that they had learned under from their coaches, but just couldn't get ahead of their opponents.
They were heading for a crushing defeat and everyone knew it. It was especially hard on the seniors, like Luke, for whom this would be their last game. Probably the last time in their lives they would ever don helmet and pads in front of a cheering crowd as strong young men in the prime of their lives. A cloud of gloom was descending on the boys in red when something good happened to end the night on a better note.
With one second remaining on the clock coach Hayslip ran in and told them to go for the Hail Mary Touchdown pass. One last Quixotic push to end the game with some more points on the board. "No" said Nicky Palleschi, the teams best player and a certain to get a full football scholarship next year, "We give the ball to Luke, he's going to be a running back on this last play". "Okay" said the coach, "Luke, you're it". I found out afterward that Luke had been begging the coaches to put him in to carry the ball for the last several games. He had been secretly practicing with his teammates to be a linebacker and run the ball. But he was needed on the line protecting the QB, and was not given the chance he had been wishing for. Until now.
I must say that I was surprised when I looked through my cameras viewfinder for the last play of my son's football career and saw him beside the quarterback instead of at his normal position on the line blocking. I barley had a second to think about it when the ball was snapped and Koa handed the ball to Luke and off he went like a bulldozer knocking three Konawaena tacklers out of his way and rushing for over ten yards before bing brought down by most of the opposing team. That's my boy I thought. I could not have been more proud.
The clock ran out and the crowd roared. The shouting of so many young voices from the stands blasted the field: "POWERS! POWERS! POWERS!" Lukes classmates and friends were as excited and thrilled as he was to end the year, and his football career in such a way. It was wonderful.
The game was then over. The season over. No more hope for a Big Island championship game and then a trip to Oahu for a state championship game. Sadness once again came over the team as coach Hayslip closed the season for them in a touching speech.
And then onto the field came the mothers, fathers, tutu's, cousins, some from the opposing team. A joy and feeling of comradeship and family embraced all and any feeling of unhappiness and disappointment soon vanished.
Such is the nature of youth and sports, especially football. A group of boys, students, kids, get together and with the guidance of superior men like coach Jordan Hayslip and each of the other excellent coaches becomes a team. They bond as young men with a common goal and desire to succeed, to excel, to win and are so much better as men for having gone through it together.
They learn life lessons that will stay with them throughout their lives. I am so proud of Lukes hard work and accomplishments as a respected leading member of the HPA team and grateful to his coaches and teammates for allowing him this wonderful experience.
Mahalo!
No comments:
Post a Comment