by Pep rally described as ‘the emotional peak of a season that went a different direction after that’
The Spirit Was There. The Scoreboard Had Other Plans.
WICHITA FALLS, TX — The Memorial High School Mavericks fell 34-17 to the Rider Raiders Friday night in a game that cheerleaders, the drumline, and approximately 600 parents in Maverick red agree was not a true reflection of the team’s character, spirit, and potential, even if it was a true reflection of the score, which was 34-17 and is not disputable.
Head coach Danny Wren told reporters the team “played with heart,” a phrase that appears in 94 percent of post-loss coach quotes nationally and which in this case was supported by visible effort, a blocked punt in the third quarter that went nowhere, and a defensive stand in the final two minutes that prevented the score from becoming 41-17, which coach Wren described as “a moral victory” in a tone that suggested he was aware of how that sounded.
The Pep Rally in Retrospect
Wednesday’s pre-game pep rally, held in the gym before a student body the principal described as “enthusiastic to a volume that may have constituted a noise ordinance issue,” now stands as the emotional apex of a week that declined from there. The mascot appeared. The band played the fight song. Junior running back Marcus Webb, who rushed for 11 yards on 8 carries Friday, led a chant that shook the bleachers.
“The rally was incredible,” said senior Becca Fontenot. “We really believed. We really believed all the way until about the middle of the second quarter, and then we believed a bit less, and by the fourth quarter we were cheering very hard for things that were not really happening.” She paused. “We kept cheering though. That part was good.”
The Season Ahead
Memorial faces Hirschi next Friday in a game coach Wren describes as “a fresh start and a real opportunity,” which is how he described the Rider game before Friday. The Mavericks are 2-4 on the season. The pep rally for the Hirschi game is Wednesday. The drumline is already practicing. The spirit, whatever the scoreboard does with it, remains intact and loudly present.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
