Mentor Wins Instant Classic Home Playoff Game

Advisor’s Note: Cardinal Nation is still growing as a staff, and so we don’t have a lot of sports reporters. Therefore, our sports coverage is limited – but we are trying. So please try to enjoy this account of the game from someone who literally knows nothing about football – columnist Sarah Blakemore.

I admit it – I’m not THAT much of a football fan. Even though someone isn’t much of a football fan, you would expect them to at least know the basics of the most popular sport in America, right? Well, I’m definitely the exception to this belief.

Last night, I attended the Mentor vs. McKinley game, and it was certainly something. The game last night was a playoff game, which apparently means that it is like a bonus game; I don’t really know why someone would want to do even more football, maybe I should research that.

Well, to start off the night, a mass of people came running out onto the field holding what only I could assume were gold and silver weapons. At this time, I thought I had mistaken this football game for a renaissance fair, and I became worried because I did not bring my George Washington wig.

In my state of confusion, I turned to the closest person next to me out of horror, and asked if I was at the football game or the queen’s funeral because this just did not seem right. They proceeded to explain to me that this was our Fighting Cardinal Marching Band, and they were here to help cheer our team on.

Cheer on? Isn’t that what cheerleaders are supposed to do? (Yes, I know what cheerleaders are, I’m not that unintelligent.)

The marching band (the people holding instruments) played a couple of songs that I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought to myself, if this is what football games are, maybe I should have gone to more.

However, I took back this thought when a random person slung their arm over me and started to sway back and forth. I don’t know what scared me more, being packed in like sardines swaying back and forth to a random song or forgetting my George Washington wig.

While the band played a new song, a group of people wearing balls on their heads came running out onto the field. Whether they were running from something or to something, I still do not know. This was the moment the stands (which I later found out is called the student section), started to cheer. I decided to be a follower tonight, and scream with them. I screamed random syllables and words. At this moment though, I decided to become a leader: I kept screaming even when everyone stopped.

I do not know why, but everyone looked at me with repulsion. Was I not screaming right? How does one scream?

I decided to forget this little mishap of mine and watch the game. The football players, which I learned were the people with balls on their heads, lined up on the field in their ready position. The players then did whatever you do in football, passing, falling, running.

In the first minute of the game, everyone started booing and sighing. I turned to the person next to me again and asked why we were booing. Apparently, the other team scored a touchdown, which is apparently bad for us. I started booing with everyone else, and knowing my mistake from the last time, I stopped booing once everyone else did.

Later in the quarter, cheers erupted around me. I didn’t know why people were cheering because for a good straight minute I was mesmerized by the cardinal mascot. Apparently, while I was spacing out, Jacob Snow scored a TOUCHDOWN!

The score was now tied, whatever could we do? We could score, but that didn’t happen until the fourth quarter. However, at the end of the second quarter, the band (renaissance actors) came out and performed a few actually good songs. After the band banded, half-time was over and the third quarter started.

I think the person next to me got a bit annoyed with all of my questions so, I took an adventure away from the student section to the unknowns that are the Jerome T. Osborne Stadium workers. Under the stands, I found the beloved concession stand. I have never seen in my life a congregation of so many people in one place except for the passing period by the HUB stairs (which is a free for all). At the concession stands, I decided to buy some popcorn. Along with my popcorn, I ordered some Skittles but the concession workers gave me Sour Patch Kids instead. I was too afraid to ask for Skittles, so I sucked it up (I did not eat them).

From the concession stands, I wandered out to the world – more like a dirt road – to the band. Once I went to the band, I did my reporter duties and interviewed some very happy, definitely not annoyed, band members. 

After I did my dutiful assignment of interviewing the band members, I may or may not have become lost. Okay okay, I know you might be wondering, “Sarah how do you get lost at a football game?” I personally do not know because I did not get lost, and I’m definitely not lying. I definitely did not take a wrong turn onto the field. I definitely knew where I was going, and someone definitely did not take a picture either.

Once I became aware of my surroundings — I mean went back to the student section, it was finally the fourth quarter. During the fourth quarter, our team scored in what I now know as the end zone.

In the last few minutes of the game, McKinley was winning. I was more stressed out than when I learned that the Queen died. The student erupted in a chant, “YOU CANT KICK!” The manifestation that the student section was trying to do was not up to par because apparently the kicker could kick, and score a point.

Now, at this time, everyone thought we would lose. I thought so too, once I learned how to read the scoreboard. However, at the last few seconds of the game, Scotty Fox threw the football all the way to the end zone to Nick Jares, winning the game. Mentor won the game with a score of 19-14, moving onto yet another playoff game.

Now, do I know how football works? No, I definitely do not. Do I understand the enjoyment of tackling other people for a ball? No, I still do not. Did I have a lot of fun showing my school spirit? Definitely.