There are few people who get to make a game winning play in a competitive sporting event. Even less often, a player makes a game winning play in football. I will go even farther and say almost never do you even hear or possibly think of a reserve (second-string player) making a game winning play in football. I have never attended a better game than the JV football game between Cincinnati Elder and Cincinnati Moeller on October 10th, 2009.
In a not so hostile environment at Moeller, the JV football team from Cincy Elder came in limping. They had lost their best offensive threat in wide receiver Jeff Vorherr due ot a broken leg agaisnt rival St. Xavier the week before. Their starting TE Michael Paff was also out. Moeller also had an injured wide receiver, whose name i could not apprehend. The game began with a beyond bold move by the Moeller Crusaders. They decided to test the awareness of the Elder kickoff return team and did a pseudo-kickoff, (they did an onside kick from a regular kickoff formation). To the Elder faithful's (the player's parents) chagrin, the Crusaders recovered the onside. Despite the early excitement, the crowd became buried in a defensive standstill. Both teams fought hard. Soon, Moeller found a chance to score at the end of the second quarter. They intercepted a Ben Gramke pass and found the three yard line, (guaranteed points). However, Nick Pennekamp and the stout Elder defense was going to have none of that (NOT TODAY!!!) and they stopped the Crusaders and three straight plays, allowing no yards. The Crusaders made the obvious (and soft) move of bringing in the field goal team. Their softness came back to haunt them, as Pennekamp tipped the field goal, sending it wide. Elder's offensive came back onto the field, prepared to try and score before the half. Starting on the 20, (a missed field goal inside the 20 is like a touchback). Gramke dropped back, but threw yet another interception. The Elder defensive responded, as cornerback Kevin Groll nabbed his own pick. The game went into half-time tied, 0-0. The Crusaders scored on their first possession of the second half. The Panthers quickly countered with their own score. With less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Moeller punched in a score. Elder had one last chance. Gramke engineered a brilliant drive. He made ridiculous play after ridiculous play. Two penalties killed the panthers, but Gramke eventually found Vorherr's sub, Mark Westerfield, for a touchdown as time expired! The panthers decided to go soft and kick the extra point to send the game into overtime. Moeller, however, was not quite ready for the usually gusty Elder to kick the PAT, so they had brought on their defense. Moeller called a timeout. The man behind Elder JV's madness, Al Grissinger, decided he was through with those goddamn Crusaders and their softness. Coach Al sent the offense out in a 5-wide shotgun. Moeller came out in a frenzy. Their kick block team had come on, and now it was up to those fellas to play "D". Elder snapped the ball and Gramke dropped back. He scampered to his right and fired to the back of the endzone. The ball found its target in the backup tight end Adam Bross. Bross reeled in the ball, falling to his right. He stood up and the bull rush began. The Elder players leaped on the callow tight end. Suddenly, the referees were called over by the Moeller coaches, unable to accept defeat. The coaches complained that Elder receiver Tony Smith had not checked into the field (between the hash marks). Eventually, Coach Al thrust his hands in the air in victory, and the Elder sideline erupted again.
In Conclusion: You never know when you might make the difference for people in your life. Elder had two of its more consistent players in Michael Paff and Jeffrey Vorherr go down to injuries, but their replacements pulled through in the clutch. You should never become complacent as a role as a backup or playing second fiddle, because you never know when the person ahead of you will need you to pick them up or help them out. Also, it shows that taking chances can payoff and being soft is not the route to go in life.
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