Bell 1

David Bell
Instructor Petty
ENG101
10 October 2014

PC vs. MC
I remember keys jingling, khaki pants, white polo shirts under our white jerseys, and
cold breaths. Our football team was dressed for mass before a huge football game; The Mount
Carmel versus Providence Catholic football game. Both teams were in the CCL Blue, which was
the most difficult high school football conference in the state of Illinois. It was senior year and
this was the fourth time each member of our team would face Mount Carmel and hopefully the
first time we would beat them. After mass, we walk down the halls silently to the locker room to
get our pads and duffel bags before we head to the bus; an away game. Nothing is more stressful
than sitting on a bus for 60 minutes and thinking about what could happen when the first kickoff
begins the game. We sat in the complete silence to the outside world at least. We all were
listening to music to get amped for a huge game. Once we got to the away lockers, I remember
the sweaty smell of whichever team was in there last. I remember the still cold air and the dead
silence, which was occasionally broken by one of our coaches telling us to focus. The silence
was temporarily broken by Coach Coglianese yelling, time to start strapping on the pads. The
only noise thereafter was the sound of 65 Celtic football players strapping on their pads and tying
their cleats. Next, the offense and defense split from each other. Our coaches each went through
their list of reminders that we heard all week because no mistakes could be afforded on either
side of the ball. Coach Ditzler would always come through at the end and give the entire defense

Bell 2

an amazing pump up speech. How he was able to always come up with the most motivating
speeches ever, I will never understand. After the speech, the whole team would yell and jump
around like a bunch of bloodthirsty hounds.
We walked out of the locker room as usual, 2 by 2. We walked in complete silence, like a
line of marching Marines. I remember instantly smelling the concessions, buttery popcorn, and
grilled foods. We walked through two chain link gates, and then along the end zone to line-up for
the National Anthem. Right after the song ended, we ran to the 50 yard line, storming the home
field of the opposing team as if it was our own. At the 50 yard line, we would get into a giant
mosh pit and do our teams chant.
The kickoff team and I remain on the field to start the game. Kickoff right, Reagan
said, as he broke the huddle.
As I walked to my position I passed Noah Cralle and said, Race ya, as I hit his shoulder.
He always accepted by saying, Five dollars to the winner?
Once in position, it wasnt long before I was running down the field to tackle whoever
received the kick, but the thing about having Reagan as a kicker was that he was so good for a
high school kicker that he always kicked touchbacks.
We started on defense for the first drive of the game and played the first drive flawlessly.
We forced a punt without giving up any first downs. Next, our offense took the field and put
together a very time consuming, drive which ended with a touchdown and the end of the
quarter. The score going into the second quarter was 7-0 and all of us were feeling great, but the
game was not over. The second quarter was when things began to go downhill. Coach Ditzler
took me off the kickoff team for the rest of the game, so I could use all my energy on defense.
The defense took the field after the kickoff. The first play of the drive, Mount Carmel ran an

Bell 3

option play right up the middle, and the gap which was supposed to be covered by our middle
linebacker, Jimmy Sharkey, was wide open and the Mount Carmel running back ran for an 80yard touchdown, untouched. I remember chasing him and the feeling of my helmet bouncing as I
sprinted as fast as I could, the pain of my ankle that I rolled the previous week, and the sweat
rolling down my face. It was at the 20 yard line that8 I realized I wasnt going to catch him. The
feeling of my heart dropping when they scored was awful, and when the rest of the defense got
down towards the end zone for the field gold attempt, we were all arguing as if we hadnt known
each other for 4 years, pointing fingers, and insulting each other. The Mount Carmel rivalry
game always brought out the worst in us. Our offense yet again held the ball for a long time,
finishing the second quarter without scoring, and the score was 7-7.
At halftime we walked back to the locker room with our heads down like the game was
over. During halftime we went over our mistakes and what we needed to fix. After our minimeetings we gathered as a team, and one of our captains, Logan Plantz, gave us an amazing
speech about how we needed to win because we had never beaten Mount Carmel in our 4 years
at Providence. After his speech we were all hyped up again as if they game was starting over
from the beginning.
Our offense got the ball back at the half. Our team broke their spirits when Justin
Hunniford, our quarterback, threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and made
the score 14-7 Mount Carmel. However, on defense we were ready to play to the best of our
ability and prevent them from scoring. We were able to hold Mount Carmel at the 10 yard line,
and they went for a field goal, which was blocked by Noah Cralle. When the offense got the ball
with great field position, they were able to even the score, 14-14.
The last drive of the game was awful. Mount Carmel got to the goal line and continued to

Bell 4

try and pound the ball right down the middle. We stopped them three times in a row. On fourth
down they went up the middle one more time, and instead of their back getting tackled, both
teams were attempting to push him in opposite directions in a giant pile. The referee that was
behind the defense blew the whistle and said to get off the running back, and out of joy our
defense backed off the running back because he was not in the end zone, but when we backed off
the running back kept running into the end zone. The referee who watched the goal line said that
they had scored even though the referee behind the defense told us to get off the pile. Our
defense captain, Andrew Banathy tried arguing with the referees and the one who told us to get
off denied that he had done so. The score ended up being 21-14 because our offense was not able
to effectively move the ball in the second half.
After the game we all gathered in a huddle on one knee around our coaches. Coach
Coglianese was so disappointed by the loss that he did not have much to say. He told us, We
cannot control what the referees do and say, but in my eyes, the better team did not win today.
The ride home from that game was horrible, and we all knew that we had never beaten Mount
Carmel after four years of playing against them, but the season was not over, and the Celtics
were not going to give up. I felt like crap, but knew that there was nothing more I could have
done to change the outcome of this game.