Football in a Small Town by James

Football in a Small Town by James - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

Truckee football has always had a strong tradition of winning, and this has always brought our small mountain community together. From 2008 to 2012, the high school team won four state titles in a row, but when I entered high school in 2013, our Varsity football team was struggling to win. My first year playing football on the Varsity team as a junior did not turn out how I had expected. I was really excited to bring what I had to offer to the team, but our team ended the season with a 5-5 record. During the off season, my fellow seniors and I dedicated ourselves to bringing back the tradition of winning that had been lost. After months of hard work, we finally got our chance.

Most of the seniors on the team had been playing football together since we were eight years old. We grew up playing football in an era when Truckee Football was a dominating force in our league. We all were inspired to carry on this tradition. It took four years in the weight room, both early morning and afternoon spring practices, summer practices, double days in August, and practices every day throughout the season. The sacrifice of our summers and free time was a commitment worth pursuing in order to achieve our goal of bringing back the tradition of Truckee football. Throughout these seasons of commitment, my team and I worked together to set and achieve our goals. We went above and beyond the basic requirements of our coaches and inspired one another to be the best. This goal of taking our team to the playoffs for the first time in four years was continuously on our radar. We held each other at the highest of standards and became true brothers in our quest for something that had been out of Truckee Football’s reach for too many years.

I was the quarterback my senior year, this 2016 season, and I had a big responsibility to my team, both as a leader and a teammate, to guide my brothers to trust in one another and play to our best potential. Throughout the regular season, our offense led the state, in all divisions, in rushing yards. Our success on offense would not have been possible without the amazing and skilled players on the offensive line, those who protected me and trusted that the machine we created through our endless dedication would grind down the field to the endzone time after time. Our defense was also outstanding and held most teams to very few points. Together, the 2016 Varsity football team of Truckee High School brought back the tradition of Truckee Football. We won eight games, had two losses, and returned to the playoffs in the position of regaining our reputation as contenders in the league. Although we lost in the second round of playoffs, I am so proud of my brothers and the tireless commitment to excellence we all work so very hard to achieve.

Now, as I see people from around town, I am greeted with compliments upon compliments about how great our season was, how well we played, and how proud they are of our team. Everybody is excited that the tradition of Truckee Football has been restored within the league. I believe that the loyalty the community has to the football program makes the community stronger and brings the people closer together.