Personal Narrative: Morrow High School Mustangs

In November of 2014, my team and I made it past the first round of the LHSAA Division AAAA playoffs after defatting the number twenty-eight seed, Belle Chase High School. After finishing a very good regular season with a record of 10-2, we went into the playoffs surprising everyone as the number four seed. After the winning the first round in style, we found ourselves matched up with defending state champs from the season before. On this defending state champ team, they possessed some of the top defensive backs in the state of Louisiana. In this nail biter of game, my team and I would face adversity, nervousness, and discipline. We got on the rented charter bus, and began our trip down to the heart of New Orleans to play the East Jefferson Warriors in what would be a very exciting high school football game full of hard hits and upsets.

Tonight was a game that determined the outcome of the season. Tonight they had to win. Tonight was the night where they had to improve their record. York High is a tough team full of many talented athletes, but lacking the knowledge of the game. Or so we thought. Walking into the locker room, you could feel the intensity of the guys. They knew that their season depended on tonight. It was their last night as freshman football players, it was their last night to make a name for themselves. They tried to play it off as if they weren't nervous, but I could tell otherwise. Dani, the injured guys, and myself had the water filled and ready to be loaded onto the bus in no time. Now it was just a matter of getting all the guys onto the bus. At 3:30 the bus arrived, and that meant game time would soon be approaching.

It was the aftermath of the Friday night game that I’ve given any signs of an injury, and my family and close ones felt sorrow for me and the following Monday. Throughout my life, peers and elders engraved an image onto me being that sports held a bright future for me, and it will lead to the true path of greatness, and one single injury puts me an aggravating, melancholy rut. Viewing my teammates playing angered me since the injury forced me into a world of therapy for the rest of the season. All the promises I made for myself were undone, athletic scholarships, the path to greatness, and my only school pastime and passion flowed throughout my body and into a pipe dream.

With a score of 44 to 37, the Varsity Football Team won against the Midway Panthers last Friday night at Waco.

I was getting of the bus at Pike High School to start my high school soccer career. I remember being extremely excited and happy to finally get the season started. The team stepped off the bus and formed two lines to walk to the fields to warm up. I began my warm up feeling fresh. I got plenty of sleep the night before and I was not too nervous.

The game started, Tommy and I were playing the same quarters. I clamped up, locking Thomas down trying my best to get bragging rights. I was hot, sweaty, and tired. I got subbed out during the second quarter, and was relieved. I waited for my chance to play again as my team took a big lead. I went back in ready to play, first possession a good steal by my team i run ahead of everyone on the fast break, I am ready for the ball to come, I turn back catch the ball, look forward take a dribble go up for the floater and bam I’m fouled at the last second by their big Bennett. I was so frustrated because I really wanted that score. “It’s Alright Nate!” I hear coming from behind as my teammates jog up the court. The game ends, our team winning but I am still

We won we are going to state! In May 2015 my high school baseball team finally beat St. Thomas Moore in the regional championship to go play in the state tournament in Sioux Falls, that was something that the Winner/Colome baseball team has not done since 2009. So on May 30th 2015 we headed to the State tournament in Sioux Falls, and in the first game we played Dell Rapids. We ended up having to play 13 innings in about 95 degree weather we ended up winning to go to the championship where we would play West Central the team that was favored to win the championship. I am going to tell you a little about the plans, the expectations and what really happened to our baseball team last spring.

I was confident. I was a better basketball player and everyone knew it. Each day after tryouts I told my dad "I've got it this time." Needless to say, once again my name wasn't on the list. I was so dejected that I couldn't even look my dad in the eye when he picked me up. That night, I went straight to bed and skipped dinner. I later found out both my mom and dad silently cried because they knew how hurt I was. My friends kept telling me I should have made the team, but that didn't change the fact that they were playing and I just had to sit in the stands and watch night after night. I went to every single game that season, and supported my friends; all the while feeling empty because I couldn't be out there with

The second half of the game came and I wanted to go back in despite my strained leg, I told my coach I was ready to go in. As the season went on I kept playing on it I was not performing to my true potential I tried to play over the pain but that was not working out. Half way through the season I finally started going to physical therapy. I was going to physical therapy but I was still able to practice and play I only had to sit out one game and the practices prior to that game.

Right before my game, I told my mom that my stomach was feeling queasy. She told me she would take me to the hospital right away but I told her to take me after my game. That was the worst decision ever. During my game, my stomach kept on churning like a pot of butter. The coach wanted me in most of the game. I could barely even run or shoot the basketball. I could not understand why my coach could not see this. “Coach, can I just sit and watch the game Now I really felt like throwing up.

Final minutes of the first half winding down, my team was marching down the field with a purpose. Across the gridiron was our rival team, Mayfield, who we had beat the previous year in the state championship game. It was a cold November night and the stage was set, playing on their home field, “The Field of Dreams,” in Las Cruses, New Mexico in the semi-finals of the state tournament. Up 14-0, we had the ball and were trying to score before going into halftime. I was handed the ball for a running play and then it happened. Falling to the ground as if I had been shot, I had completely torn my hamstring. I was in complete shock as I lay on the ground. As the pain

The next games went by so fast it was October now a month or so left in my high school football career. Just very infuriated at this moment feeling pathetic, since the back therapy I was going threw was almost over. I had a feeling that nothing was going same again this season our record was now 8-0, still not satisfied. Because we only had two games left in regular season and they were against central catholic on Oct,24th 2014 varsity football team lost Friday's home conference game against Central Catholic (Toledo, OH) by a score of 56-33. Now one more game we were 8-1, I was finally done with my physical rehab it was about time missing 8 games total.

Sophomore season ended up not being the best like the year before when we went to semi-state. That did not bother me too much knowing I had two years ahead of me to still play the game.

I was excited for a new beginning in my career, maybe to prepare me for high school in the upcoming years. The idea of beating boys in soccer got me excited, my blood pumping harder through my veins and put an extra spring in my step. It was the first practice of our middle school season, where my life would be turned upside down. I ran down the field as normal, going for another shot on goal, but out of nowhere one of boys came from behind and completely took out my knee, causing me to collapse in pain. Lying down on the field, my sanctuary, the place I saw as home was probably the most grueling time of my life. Injuries were common in my life, but this injury was unlike any other. I could not get up off the field and felt as if there was nothing left in my knee, and every time I tried to get up, I fell right back down. I never sat out a practice until that night and figured one day would be enough. One night was clearly not enough, I was never able to catch back up to my full speed, or be able to cut around the field, which resulted in moving positions from forward, to defense to cut back on the running. I thought this would a temporary position, but I played every game in

I sat in the waiting room of that hospital for about an hour and a half. They let the younger children with the ear infections, and mild flu like symptoms go first. As I sat there in the wheelchair I saw a very familiar face walk through the semi-crowed waiting room. As the face got closer and clearer, tears began to form and fall to my face. My head coach walked up to me and asked how I was doing. This meant so much to me, to know that he took time away from his family to see one of his players. We sat there for a while and talked he cracked a few jokes and we shared a few laughs. All of a sudden my mind started to wonder, and the first thing that crossed was what if it is too bad for me to return to the court within the next two weeks, or worse for the rest of my high school days.