We brought it and we left it. During our State Championship we answered the challenge and brought everything it takes to win a championship: toughness, focus, physicality, and teamwork. Once we brought the right level of character and culture to the game, we knew we had Out Work and Out Love for 48 minutes to have a chance to beat the 7th ranked team in the country. We battled heroically throughout the game, but the focus of this article is what we chose to leave behind.
We knew we would have to leave it all on the field. No moral victories. No woulda, shoulda, coulda. To win the State Championship the Rocks would have to give an effort so strong that there would be no regrets whatsoever. How hard can a team actually play anyway? That’s how hard I thought we needed to play to win. I can honestly say we did exactly that. Guys were tired. Guys were hurt. Guys looked each other in the eye and rose to the challenge. We left it all out on the field.
There is another thing our Seniors have left along the way. Leaving a legacy is more about what you leave in someone than what you leave for someone. I will admit we have played great football the past two years. We have won 24 out of 28 games. We have gone undefeated in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference two seasons in a row. We have been the State Runner Up in 2020 and 2021. This year’s game was so close that it was evident to anyone watching that our program has climbed the proverbial mountain to be included with the best in Indiana. But that’s not the legacy that was left in my opinion.
I have heard from so many people since our game. Lots of people congratulating us on a great year. Others talking about how great the game was. But the biggest feedback I got was about the effort and character of our guys. Just like we tell our team, we are not our performance. What we do is way less important than how we do things. We inspired our community with how we played and I couldn’t be prouder. Many people also shared that they have expanded their thinking regarding what is possible in our city. We had plenty of opportunity to doubt ourselves. Instead we built belief. Everyone would have understood if we competed timidly. Instead we answered the bell, came out swinging and fought as hard as possible until the bitter end. We could of grew frustrated and turned against each other. Instead we turned toward each other and had each other’s back, like families are supposed to.
Even though we didn’t come out on top in the game, our team left Lucas Oil with our heads held high. We ran out of time, but we never ran out of character. I couldn’t be prouder of our kids and coaches. Job well done! Legacy Left!
