Eagles Start the Season off strong with 38-7 Win Against Gilman
Andrew Mason ‘15 shows his spirit with full denim gear and an American flag
September 1, 2014
Mack Hogan ‘15
Yesterday, Saint Edward faced off against Gilman High. In every single area, the Eagles came out in force, bringing energy to all aspects of the game, allowing us to completely decimate Gilman, whose athletic director is now probably regretting spending that much money on flights.
First off, there was the student section. Almost everyone, girls included, rocked some serious denim. From jorts to dresses, we had the range of denim-wear locked down. However, the denim was typical; denim days always get major support. What was truly astounding was the spirit. At points, the student section was cheering so loudly they overpowered the jet engines of the F/A-18’s performing acrobatics in the sky above. It was not just loud either, it was creative. The kickoff was celebrated with a green cloud of powder launched from the St. Edward Students. The cheers were varied and some of them new (YES! YES! YES!). Unfortunately, the student section did have some issues in keeping with the band. First was when they started the new “We love ya!” chant in the middle of a song being played by the band. Second, they sang the alma mater much faster than the band played it. But these are small issues that will work themselves out as the season continues with an overall amazing student section. In fact, that was the best football spirit I have seen in my three previous years here.
The second aspect of our decimation was the band. This was their first time performing their halftime show for us, and by all measures it was a complete success. Drum Major Joseph Basalla (‘15) led the band in an amazing performance of their three songs for this year’s show: I Get Around, Fire, and 5-0. The Saint Edward Color Guard did their usual fantastic job, making the show entertaining to the eyes and the ears. This was also the first time that the Color Guard has featured a majorette, who performed a variety of trick with her baton.
The final aspect was the football team itself. From the beginning, they took the lead and stayed there. Our continued runs to the end zone put shame upon Gilman, a team that only managed one touchdown. A lot of that comes down to our star defense, keeping the opposing team in check for the whole game. At one point, the Eagles almost got a safety. Though they did not, Gilman was still pushed into the wrong end zone. I guess at that point they would take any end zone they could get. Play after play, Gilman was shut down. The winning mentality was evident on the sidelines, as I overheard many comments along the lines of, “We’re not givin’ them anything!” Towards the second half of the fourth quarter, the score sat nicely at 38-7 as everyone accepted that the game was over. The next few minutes were just for the clock, because the eagles had already won. This team has some insane talent, and they tapped into all of it yesterday.
All together, that was the best football game Saint Edward has had since the 2010 State Championship. Its a big claim, but its the truth. Between the student section, the band, and the team itself, the Eagles came out in full strength and proved how great we can really be when we go all in. If we keep up this energy and the team keeps working hard, I believe that we may get a new banner to hang.
