“Codi! Codi, wake up it’s six.” That is y mother, who all my years of high
school acted as my personal alarm clock. On any normal day, I would get
dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and drive to school. Today is
different. Today, as soon as I woke up I am focused on what I am going to do
thirteen hours from this very moment. Tonight, I would be playing my very last
high school football game. As I walked into my room, where I would normally
find clothes in the closet, I saw my jersey had already been laid out. It’s
funny how I have worn this black # 33 jersey since my freshman year and now
that today is my last game, I start to notice all small details within my
jersey. My fingers smoothly stroke the stitching in the jersey where the
numbers are located. I notice the minor tears in the shoulder regions from the
constant stretching over the shoulder pads, causing some minor wear and tear
within the jersey. Above all, I notice the block C that sits as a chest logo on
the jersey. I stare into the C and not only realize that playing for that C
represents my community and my high school; I also remember all of the good and
bad times, the wins and losses, and the moments I have shared with my fellow
seniors and teammates for the past four years. I put on the jersey and as I
walk out the door, I ponder the thought that this is the last day this jersey
will be in my possession.
12:30 p.m. We have just eaten lunch and the whole school is heading into the gym for the big pep rally. I have always been the emotional leader on the team. Each season, I would give speeches to motivate my teammates to be better, so of course they chose me to speak during the pep rally to fire up the crowd. During the pep rally festivities, with the cheerleaders and the band pumping up the crowd with chants of spirit, I was thinking of what to say to the entire student body. Speeches never make me nervous and usually I just make up my speeches as I go. This speech was different though, it meant more than any other speech I have ever given. The last few minutes of the pep rally had arrived and my cue to take center court had come. As I took the microphone, I looked out into the sea of painted faces and spirit signs saying “GO WARRIORS” and “CAGE THE LIONS.” Then, I looked at my fellow seniors, all sixteen of them, and I knew exactly what I was going to say.
“My fellow Warriors, thank you all for coming out and supporting us today. I could not ask for better fans. With your support and spirit, we will beat Minerva tonight. Before I say anything further, I want all of the seniors on the football team to stand up. These sixteen men standing before you have been by my side for four years of playing together. In thirty-nine games, we have given everything to this team, our families, and to our community. Tonight is our 40th game together, but tonight also is our last football game together. We need your support one last time as we take on arch rival Minerva. We need all of you to come out and get crazy, to have fun, and be loud. Most of all, enjoy the moment with us on the field. When the game is over as we ring that victory bell one last time, shout with us, “GO WARRIORS!” The crowd, although silent for a few moments, erupted in a loud uproar that lasted for what seemed to be minutes, but in reality, it was a few seconds.
4:00 p.m. School is out. No more classes, distractions, or dreaming. I am just three hours away from kick-off of my final high school football game. We have just finished our pregame meal and we are now breaking up into our position group to go over last minute game planning and adjustments. Coach Chris Hawk was my linebacker coach. He had a Paul Bunyan-like beard, a baldhead, and of course, the huge bulge of chewing tobacco stuck in the side of his cheek. Coach Hawk was never one for motivating speeches or heroic phrases. He would usually just tell us in simple terms, to read our keys, run to the ball, and bring our hips with us when we tackle. This meeting was different though. The way he looked at us was different. The words Coach Hawk said to us have stuck with me to this very day.
“You are about to play your last game of your high school career. Never again will you wear these colors, this jersey, and this helmet. Never again, will there be a 2011 Carrollton Warrior football team. No regrets tonight. No regrets men because regrets are just dirty reminders of the things you could have accomplished. Do not let tonight be regret. Take this opportunity, you deserve it!” After Coach Hawk said his piece, I was astonished that such a big, tough human being could say such motivating and heartfelt words. After the meetings, we grabbed our gear and loaded the buses. Next stop, Community Field.
6:30 p.m. We have just finished our warm-ups and kick-off is only minutes away. As the rest of the team heads back to the locker room my fellow seniors and I line up with our parents ready to begin the senior night presentation. As I said earlier, there are seventeen of us, myself included. I found myself in the middle of the group as we lined up according to the script the PA announcer had given to the field instructor. One by one, the announcer would call the senior’s name, the names of his parents, and his plans after graduation. The crowd, which was a packed house I might add, cheered louder and louder for every senior that walked across the field. Finally, my name came across the loudspeaker and shot through the whole stadium. “Senior linebacker number 33, Codi Casper. Escorted by his parents Bill and Roxanne Casper. Codi plans to attend Robert Morris University to study communications and play football. Senior linebacker, Codi Casper.” This moment was surreal. After hugging my mother and shaking my father’s hand, I ran back into the locker room with the other seniors and prepared to walk out of the tunnel with my team.
7:05 p.m. Game time is upon us and we are only seconds away from kick-off. We lost the coin toss during the game so we had to kick the ball of first. This was ok with me since I am on the kick off team and it should be fitting that I get to be on the field for the first play of my last game. As the referee blows his whistle to start the game, we trot to the middle of the field to line up for kick off. I remember it like it was yesterday. Its late October so it is dark enough to have the lights on focused towards us, as if we are gladiators in an arena for all to look down on. I can remember hearing the music from the PA system blaring in the background to pump up the crowd. The song was “Thunderstruck” by ACDC, a fitting song for a game that involves crushing people. I see the fans jumping up and down, painted black and white while holding signs and stuffed lions that they are pretending to kill. It was quite a sight and an atmosphere I would never forget. As our kicker gets set to kick the ball off, I begin to focus on the opponents in front of me, while also focusing on the kicker. When you watch football movies, as the kicker kicks the ball, it is always in slow motion to build up the intensity of the movie. I swear on everything that is holy that right before we kicked off everything was in slow motion. I felt as if I was in a movie and this was the intense build up. Then, life and reality speeds up. The ball was kicked off, and the game began.
9:30 p.m. We scored in the final minute of the game and went for two to get the win rather than tie, but we failed the attempt. As the final whistle blows, the final score lights up on the scoreboard. Minerva 21-Carrollton 20. It was a gut wrenching blow to the hearts of all the Warriors that night. Therefore, that was it. My high school football career was now over.
Today was by far the fastest day of my life and of course, it would involve me playing my last high school football game. It felt like I woke up to get ready for school an hour ago, and with the blink of an eye it is over. I could not help but to release a few tears as I walked off the field with my fellow seniors one last time. My dad came up to me to give me a hug and said to me that he was so proud to have watched me play and grow into a man these last four years.
Although my football career is not over and I will take my talents to Robert Morris University, I look back at the memories I have shared with my high school teammates. I remember all of the glamour and excitement of being a high school football player, and what it means to play under those Friday night lights. These memories I will cherish forever. There will never be another 2011 Carrollton Warrior football team, but I can honestly say we played with no regrets.
12:30 p.m. We have just eaten lunch and the whole school is heading into the gym for the big pep rally. I have always been the emotional leader on the team. Each season, I would give speeches to motivate my teammates to be better, so of course they chose me to speak during the pep rally to fire up the crowd. During the pep rally festivities, with the cheerleaders and the band pumping up the crowd with chants of spirit, I was thinking of what to say to the entire student body. Speeches never make me nervous and usually I just make up my speeches as I go. This speech was different though, it meant more than any other speech I have ever given. The last few minutes of the pep rally had arrived and my cue to take center court had come. As I took the microphone, I looked out into the sea of painted faces and spirit signs saying “GO WARRIORS” and “CAGE THE LIONS.” Then, I looked at my fellow seniors, all sixteen of them, and I knew exactly what I was going to say.
“My fellow Warriors, thank you all for coming out and supporting us today. I could not ask for better fans. With your support and spirit, we will beat Minerva tonight. Before I say anything further, I want all of the seniors on the football team to stand up. These sixteen men standing before you have been by my side for four years of playing together. In thirty-nine games, we have given everything to this team, our families, and to our community. Tonight is our 40th game together, but tonight also is our last football game together. We need your support one last time as we take on arch rival Minerva. We need all of you to come out and get crazy, to have fun, and be loud. Most of all, enjoy the moment with us on the field. When the game is over as we ring that victory bell one last time, shout with us, “GO WARRIORS!” The crowd, although silent for a few moments, erupted in a loud uproar that lasted for what seemed to be minutes, but in reality, it was a few seconds.
4:00 p.m. School is out. No more classes, distractions, or dreaming. I am just three hours away from kick-off of my final high school football game. We have just finished our pregame meal and we are now breaking up into our position group to go over last minute game planning and adjustments. Coach Chris Hawk was my linebacker coach. He had a Paul Bunyan-like beard, a baldhead, and of course, the huge bulge of chewing tobacco stuck in the side of his cheek. Coach Hawk was never one for motivating speeches or heroic phrases. He would usually just tell us in simple terms, to read our keys, run to the ball, and bring our hips with us when we tackle. This meeting was different though. The way he looked at us was different. The words Coach Hawk said to us have stuck with me to this very day.
“You are about to play your last game of your high school career. Never again will you wear these colors, this jersey, and this helmet. Never again, will there be a 2011 Carrollton Warrior football team. No regrets tonight. No regrets men because regrets are just dirty reminders of the things you could have accomplished. Do not let tonight be regret. Take this opportunity, you deserve it!” After Coach Hawk said his piece, I was astonished that such a big, tough human being could say such motivating and heartfelt words. After the meetings, we grabbed our gear and loaded the buses. Next stop, Community Field.
6:30 p.m. We have just finished our warm-ups and kick-off is only minutes away. As the rest of the team heads back to the locker room my fellow seniors and I line up with our parents ready to begin the senior night presentation. As I said earlier, there are seventeen of us, myself included. I found myself in the middle of the group as we lined up according to the script the PA announcer had given to the field instructor. One by one, the announcer would call the senior’s name, the names of his parents, and his plans after graduation. The crowd, which was a packed house I might add, cheered louder and louder for every senior that walked across the field. Finally, my name came across the loudspeaker and shot through the whole stadium. “Senior linebacker number 33, Codi Casper. Escorted by his parents Bill and Roxanne Casper. Codi plans to attend Robert Morris University to study communications and play football. Senior linebacker, Codi Casper.” This moment was surreal. After hugging my mother and shaking my father’s hand, I ran back into the locker room with the other seniors and prepared to walk out of the tunnel with my team.
7:05 p.m. Game time is upon us and we are only seconds away from kick-off. We lost the coin toss during the game so we had to kick the ball of first. This was ok with me since I am on the kick off team and it should be fitting that I get to be on the field for the first play of my last game. As the referee blows his whistle to start the game, we trot to the middle of the field to line up for kick off. I remember it like it was yesterday. Its late October so it is dark enough to have the lights on focused towards us, as if we are gladiators in an arena for all to look down on. I can remember hearing the music from the PA system blaring in the background to pump up the crowd. The song was “Thunderstruck” by ACDC, a fitting song for a game that involves crushing people. I see the fans jumping up and down, painted black and white while holding signs and stuffed lions that they are pretending to kill. It was quite a sight and an atmosphere I would never forget. As our kicker gets set to kick the ball off, I begin to focus on the opponents in front of me, while also focusing on the kicker. When you watch football movies, as the kicker kicks the ball, it is always in slow motion to build up the intensity of the movie. I swear on everything that is holy that right before we kicked off everything was in slow motion. I felt as if I was in a movie and this was the intense build up. Then, life and reality speeds up. The ball was kicked off, and the game began.
9:30 p.m. We scored in the final minute of the game and went for two to get the win rather than tie, but we failed the attempt. As the final whistle blows, the final score lights up on the scoreboard. Minerva 21-Carrollton 20. It was a gut wrenching blow to the hearts of all the Warriors that night. Therefore, that was it. My high school football career was now over.
Today was by far the fastest day of my life and of course, it would involve me playing my last high school football game. It felt like I woke up to get ready for school an hour ago, and with the blink of an eye it is over. I could not help but to release a few tears as I walked off the field with my fellow seniors one last time. My dad came up to me to give me a hug and said to me that he was so proud to have watched me play and grow into a man these last four years.
Although my football career is not over and I will take my talents to Robert Morris University, I look back at the memories I have shared with my high school teammates. I remember all of the glamour and excitement of being a high school football player, and what it means to play under those Friday night lights. These memories I will cherish forever. There will never be another 2011 Carrollton Warrior football team, but I can honestly say we played with no regrets.