More Important Than the Win

What a game. Down by 10 early in the second quarter, but clawing back to within three at the half. Down by 10 again halfway through the third quarter but within three just 20 seconds later. Down by another ten early in the fourth quarter before storming back to win by four.

This, fellow Bobcats, was only part of the story that unfolded on Saturday at the historic Garcelon Field.

No, Garcelon Field is not where Penn State, Ohio State, Texas, Florida or LSU play. It is not the home of a dynamite college football program and it has seen just 299 victories in the program’s 114 year history.

Garcelon Field is our home football stadium and since it was built in 1899, it has seen great players and fans come and go. After our football team sent Bowdoin back to Brunswick licking their wounds after a 28-24 loss, the stadium said goodbye to another generation of those players and fans.

Wait, what’s that? We won? Yes, we won and that joke is old. Sure, the program’s history is not dazzling. There is no disputing that. We all know that a two-win season is a good season. No one expects to run the table and go an unprecedented 8-0 because that has never happened here (although the 1946 team went 7-0).

But I am not here to talk about wins and losses. The football team showed something on Saturday that I have not seen in many home football games. They showed more resilience, fight and effort than the opponent. They overcame turnovers, missed routes and dropped passes. They showed pride and that pride was, above all, more important than the outcome of the game.

They could have let up at any difficult moment on Saturday, but it was not an option. With 15 seniors playing the final home game of their Bates careers, losing was not a thought in their minds. They could have played Texas, Florida or even the New England Patriots, and I can all but guarantee you that the team would have put forth the same effort (though we know the result would undoubtedly be different).

With an estimated 1,800 people watching the final home game of the season, the Bobcats were out to show everyone that we are not the joke of the NESCAC. These guys were not playing for a spot in any sort of playoff, championship or post-season award ceremony.

But they won, and as the excitement of the game became almost unbearable in the fourth quarter, I saw 1,800 people act like this was the Super Bowl. It was not, but for the first time in my four years at Bates, I can honestly say that I was amazed by the atmosphere at Garcelon Field.

When Bowdoin had their golden opportunity to take the lead 30-28 with 4:06 remaining (all they needed was one measly yard), people in the stands started the universal sports chant of “DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE!” When the Polar Bears got the ball back with 2:16 remaining, the crowd did their best to distract Bowdoin’s offense by stomping its feet on the bleachers to emulate the sound of thunder.

Whether or not the chants or noise making were heard on the field is neither here nor there. What matters is that for once, we as a student body showed some serious support for a team not named men’s basketball (you know you guys hoard the fan support, Chris Wilson ’10).

For a while this fall, it felt like we came to accept mediocrity as a collection of fans. While our fall sports collectively had an extremely disappointing season, I cannot say that we did much on our part to help them out.

I am not a model citizen by any means, and if you need clarification on that you can call my mother at 207-846-6…yeah right.

But I will admit that I tried to support our athletic teams as best I could. My friends and I often discussed our school’s frustrating fall sports records. We did not do so because we enjoyed trash-talking our teams when they lost, but rather because we wanted to see some change. We noted the lack of wins, but also the lack of fan support.

While the former is what we all care about, the latter is directly related. Our support can and will help our teams win games in the future. Still aren’t convinced? Just ask football Tri-Captain Tom Beaton ’10.

“It was awesome to see all of the support that the parents and fans gave,” said Beaton. “To be honest that support truly does make a difference to the players on the field.”

I was not on the field on Saturday, but I was in the stands and it was louder than I have ever heard. When Bates took their first lead of the game with 9:39 remaining following an interception returned for a touchdown by defensive lineman Tyler Kuehl ’12, the stadium exploded. People took out their phones and immediately called their napping friends to force them out of the comfort of their dorm rooms to watch what would be a thrilling end to a hard-fought football game.

The team did not take the field with the idea of proving themselves to anyone. Few of you believed in them anyways.

They played the game to salvage a season marked by close games, blown leads and inconsistent play, but more importantly to honor the leadership provided by those 15 seniors – most notably Tri-Captains Kyle McAllister ’10, Beaton and Matt Sherburne ’10.

If you thought McAllister, Beaton and Sherburne were going to walk away from the final home football game of their careers with a loss, I hope you witnessed them every time they came off of the field.

While Sherburne was out with an injury, he was the emotional leader of the team. He was at every practice and game throughout the season, and his presence was undoubtedly felt on the sidelines on Saturday.

McAllister showed more energy than I have ever seen from one player, delivering big hits and running of the field with tremendous high fives and adrenaline pumping screams.

Beaton played with his usual composure and showed the Polar Bears that height is overhyped in the NESCAC – just ask their defense how he burned them for nine catches, 152 yards and one long touchdown reception.

Although this column speaks to the football team, it is intended to spread throughout Bates athletics. Our combined men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and football NESCAC record stands at an embarrassing 5-39-1 (the fate of another win lies in the hands of the Football team at Hamilton on Saturday). While that is nothing to write home about (at least positively), not one of the athletes on any of those five teams enjoys losing.

Our football team put the silver lining on a fall filled with athletic struggles. I am not sure if it was Midnight Madness or the Powder Puff football games that got this school fired up for our sports, but I do know that Saturday is a day that will stick out to me when I think of the events I attended in my four years at Bates.

Winter sports are up next, and we are starting with a clean slate. We are 0-0-0 in the NESCAC and I am giving you all another shot to show other schools what we can do.

After all, the NCAA rated Alumni Gymnasium as one of the toughest places for opponents to play.

Take that for what it is worth.