The stadium lights burned hot over the field Friday night as the Russell Broncos slipped past the Minneapolis Lions 37-36 in an overtime win that left breathless fans gripping bleachers and feeling their hearts pounding.
The Lions fought like old prizefighters—each down and each snap. They never folded. Grit persisted throughout the night. About the moment one thought they were out for the count, our team clawed back time and again.
Although a football game is typically summarized with cold statistics, a much more profound human story of teamwork and culture is unfolding. To truly understand this story, one must observe what happens each Thursday evening at the Old Mill Street Inn on Second St. Corn hole, billiards, cards, and jokes commence as players consume the weekly team meal that Mr. and Mrs. Johns coordinated. During this time of fellowship, the team relaxes for a few brief hours, but more importantly, takes in the moment of what can easily become a blur of their high school career. That matters, and in today’s world of asynchronous communication powered by cell phones, it’s refreshing to see students once again engage in face-to-face conversation.
During a typical high school football season, too many teams chase the next game, but in doing so, forget why they lace up. The Minneapolis Lions have not. Their camaraderie is infectious and transcends well beyond the game of football. One only has to look at the faces of our student section to see the change taking place as they dressed for Halloween for the last home game! :)
Such enthusiasm is inspiring the next generation of Lions Football Players.
On Friday night, the local crowd saw it too—shoulder to shoulder, cheering through the game's final seconds. Although the scoreboard favored Russell at the end of the game, a large standing crowd applauded the team for their grit. The takeaway from this game is that our Lions proved they’re still very much in this fight, and thus, roar on! #LionPride!