A few weeks ago I was watching the World Series, which is one thing I thoroughly enjoy about my job, the fact I can watch the World Series while at work. Game six was out of this world. It was the best game I have ever seen. The Twins and Tigers’ 163rd game in 2009 was pretty good, but this was the World Series.
Long story short, the St. Louis Cardinals forced game seven with David Freese’s walk-off home run. There was so much more that went into that home run than just the final swing of the bat. Game seven. It all comes down to this game, this inning, this pitch, this swing.
The Cardinals won the seventh game (which seemed more of a formality than anything) to win its 11th championship on a Friday night. The next morning, I rolled out of bed after a late (but standard) Friday night and drove up to Emporia for the 2A volleyball state championship. I arrived just as the final match was set. Washington County vs. Olpe.
I love this time of the year. We’re at the point where every game played is win-or-go-home. Over the past year I have become convinced the best thing about high school sports are the state championships. There will be a winner. There will be a loser. At the end of regulation, there will be a team that can call themselves the best.
Saturday in Emporia Olpe won the first set 25-19. The Lady Eagles were in complete control. They looked poised and ready to win the next set and take a championship trophy home with them.
However, Washington County won the second set 25-22. The match was split 1-1 and headed to a third and final set. At the end of this set, there will be a winner and there will be a loser.
This fascinates me; that one team will not execute and accomplish what it set out to do, while on the other side of the ball that team will. One team will execute and accomplish and the other will not.
This is not to say that one team deserves to win more than the other. This is not to say that one team worked harder than the other or even that one team has more skill or talent than the other. This is just to say that one team will execute and accomplish what it set out to do, and the other team won’t.
The final set was back-and-forth the entire way until towards the end Washington County started to pull away. The Lady Tigers were up 24-21 and could taste and feel the state championship trophy in its grasp. But Olpe didn’t quit. In fact, it came back.
Olpe needed to score three points in the time that Washington County scored one just to have a chance at the title. It scored four. Olpe was now winning 25-24 and one point from a state championship when Washington County tied it up.
At this point I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding me?! This is incredible!’ while trying my best to not show any emotion whatsoever.
Olpe then won the next two points to take the final set 26-24. It was over. There is a winner, and there is a loser. One team executed and the other didn’t. Olpe is the 2A volleyball state champions.
They won in much the same manner that any winner of game no. 163 or game seven wins. One game. There is ONE game to decide the best. There is one game to prove the best.
Long story short, the St. Louis Cardinals forced game seven with David Freese’s walk-off home run. There was so much more that went into that home run than just the final swing of the bat. Game seven. It all comes down to this game, this inning, this pitch, this swing.
The Cardinals won the seventh game (which seemed more of a formality than anything) to win its 11th championship on a Friday night. The next morning, I rolled out of bed after a late (but standard) Friday night and drove up to Emporia for the 2A volleyball state championship. I arrived just as the final match was set. Washington County vs. Olpe.
I love this time of the year. We’re at the point where every game played is win-or-go-home. Over the past year I have become convinced the best thing about high school sports are the state championships. There will be a winner. There will be a loser. At the end of regulation, there will be a team that can call themselves the best.
Saturday in Emporia Olpe won the first set 25-19. The Lady Eagles were in complete control. They looked poised and ready to win the next set and take a championship trophy home with them.
However, Washington County won the second set 25-22. The match was split 1-1 and headed to a third and final set. At the end of this set, there will be a winner and there will be a loser.
This fascinates me; that one team will not execute and accomplish what it set out to do, while on the other side of the ball that team will. One team will execute and accomplish and the other will not.
This is not to say that one team deserves to win more than the other. This is not to say that one team worked harder than the other or even that one team has more skill or talent than the other. This is just to say that one team will execute and accomplish what it set out to do, and the other team won’t.
The final set was back-and-forth the entire way until towards the end Washington County started to pull away. The Lady Tigers were up 24-21 and could taste and feel the state championship trophy in its grasp. But Olpe didn’t quit. In fact, it came back.
Olpe needed to score three points in the time that Washington County scored one just to have a chance at the title. It scored four. Olpe was now winning 25-24 and one point from a state championship when Washington County tied it up.
At this point I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding me?! This is incredible!’ while trying my best to not show any emotion whatsoever.
Olpe then won the next two points to take the final set 26-24. It was over. There is a winner, and there is a loser. One team executed and the other didn’t. Olpe is the 2A volleyball state champions.
They won in much the same manner that any winner of game no. 163 or game seven wins. One game. There is ONE game to decide the best. There is one game to prove the best.
