Winning together - and losing together

Friday night brought us a semifinal game to decide whether the Greybull Buffs or the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies would earn the right to play for the nine-man football championship in Laramie on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams had played twice previously, with Rocky getting the better of the Buffs in a Week 0 scrimmage that didn’t count as an official game and the Greybull beating the Grizzlies in the conference matchup a few weeks later. Both had won their first round game in their bid to play for the state title. However, Greybull seemed to be on a roll.

But, for the first time this season, the Buffs, after a first quarter lead, played catch-up ball the rest of the way.   With two minutes left on the game clock, the Buffs were still four points down — 32-28.

My personal announcer (daughter Joni) was giving me play-by-play, but we got interrupted. Her next call was good news. The Buffs scored to go ahead 34-32.  A victory was within their grasp. The down side was that the Buffs had failed on the conversion try.

Rocky took the ensuing kickoff and drove deep into Greybull territory before a successful field goal with 3 seconds remaining put the Griz on top 35-34.  Greybull received the kickoff but had no time to make anything happen.  The game was over and Rocky exploded off the bench; Greybull players fell to the turf. 

As parents, friends, grandparents, neighbors, there are no words we could utter to help ease the pain of what happened.  “Just wait until next year.”  “You played great; just fell short.”  “This isn’t the end of the world.”  None of it eases the players pain at all!

After cheering on kids and grandkids in every sport but wrestling (sorry, I’m not a fan), I learned my best response was a big hug and simply saying, “I”m proud of you, I’ll cry for you.” And I did several times.

   So congratulations, Buffs. You came a long way; you made us all proud, and we cried for you.