Riddle Riddle Ree...I see something you don't see....

And you can't see this, because I don't have a picture or an image.  I just have the words that will describe the evening.

It was David versus Goliath.   My 13 year old son's football team was playing a team a class a head of them. The game was scheduled with different classes because the teams needed to play someone.  We came into the evening knowing that we were going to lose.  That this team was twice our size.  They were from the "rich" part of town.  We are the team from working class families.  We don't have all the luxuries, but we have something no one was counting on...faith in each other.

The game started off with the opponent's team scoring within a few minutes and making our defensive line look like they were just standing there.  The parents looked at each other and hope that we would just be able to stay within a reasonable score.  We hoped our boys would hold their heads high and know that they were playing Goliath.

Then we scored...WHAT!?!!!!  WE SCORED!!!  Awesome!  Okay, we are proud that our boys are holding their own against this team.

I watched as my son who is 5'6" 120 lbs soaking wet was blocking a 175 lb 6'0'' tall kid.  How was he blocking this kid?  Determination?  Or, as he would tell me later..."I was just doing my job.  My job was to block to make sure that kid did not get our runner or quarterback."

Okay, they scored again and made the extra point.  The Goliath team had the lead.  Still proud of our boys.

What?!  Your kidding we scored again!  We got the extra point!  We were tied 16 to 16....Half Time.  So proud that our boys were playing hard and being strong.  Playing as a team.

Half time was over and we got the ball.  Could we?  What did we do?  OMG!  We scored we took the lead!   Extra points...no, we didn't get them.  But we had the lead!  22 to 16!  We have the lead against the Goliath.  But we have 3rd and 4th quarter to go.

The rain started again.  The clouds were hanging low and the sun had sat.  The football field lights lit the evening sky and the announcer voice was now echoing from the near by houses.  The cheerleaders could be heard easily now as the evening began to settle in.  The cool crisp fall air made everyone now remember that it was football weather and we were here to cheer on our teams.

Fourth quarter....2 minutes left to go...Goliath had the ball on their 5 yard line.  1st down..we stop them!  2nd down...we stop them!!! Third down, our defensive line jumped, they moved the ball to the 2nd yard line.  It was inevitable we would be watching our boys lose this struggle soon.  3rd down...we stop them.  4th down they moved the ball...was it enough for the 1st down?  Game stopped as the officials measure.  Silence...as in slow motion the officials moved the chains to measure.  The first marker is set down.  The second stick is set down.  The football, the chain the measure....SHORT!!! SHORT!!!!

We got the ball back...we got the ball back 48 seconds.  We are in their end zone, if we get tackle they get a safety.  If we fumble, oh no...please don't fumble.  The boys line up.  The Goliath lumbers over them. Please I pray...don't jump the line...don't fumble the ball.  First play our centers falls on the ball...run the clock out, run the clock out.  The second play...the center falls on the ball...20 seconds left.  Take the safety, we still will win.  The whistle, the snap the center runs the ball forward.  The push, the tackle the clock runs out.  We win!  We won!  We won against Goliath....David beat Goliath.

And as we end ever game...the boys huddled, they high five and the congratulated each other.  Then, "Norte Dame Saints"  the coach said...."Mother Mary"  the captain said...."Pray for Us" the team said.

As we walked out to the car I ask my son, do you realize why you won?  He looked at me without a response.  I told him because you played as a team.  Each of you did your job.  Each of you had faith in each other.  Each of you celebrate the successes and help each other when there were faults.  You rose each other up, and made sure that your weakness point became your strongest length.

Riddle Riddle Ree....what do you see?