A Fight to the End
			It was a cold November day, but the raptured crowd gave little notice to the freezing temperature. Faces painted with black and orange paw prints, roared at the small town team of high school boys. It was the team’s chance at State, an honor that if accomplished would cause the head coach to lose his ponytail. A ponytail he had grown for ten years, cut from the football teams last State game.             The game was a constant suspense as the teams gained and lost yards at the wrong time. When halftime finally called a reprieve from the stressful game, the home pride could be heard in the Junior High and High School band. It was as if they were trying to change the tide of the game with their musical effort. As the football team came running on to the field the fans cheered and the band played with such vigor that they hoped it would be pasted on to the team.             However, the score was unchanged by third quarter and it looked as if the big city team was going to conquer its smaller cousin. Feelings of hopelessness began to seep into some of the fans' heart. The feeling failed to win over, for the fans yelled even more to push it away from their hearts and the team’s. Then fortune smiled at the home team with a touchdown and two-point excursion. Now they were only five points behind with ten minutes to score to the needed points.             The old vigor and even some new vigor exploded into the team, the fans, and the band. Nothing was going to stop their momentive move to State and their coach’s haircut. They ran the ball down the field, but was utterly rebuffed. Losing yard and the ball the other team made another touch down. There was only six minutes left in the game and the home team needed at least nine points to win.             Hearts dropped, and even a few people left, at this new turn of events. Yet this small town’s football team had not lost their heart, neigh it was beating stronger then ever. Within the next few minutes they scored again with two minutes to go. Passions and hope ran so deep as to never be stopped again.             While the other team had the ball, the defense would pound them back yard after yard. It was fourth down and barely a minute to go the opposing team was going to punt. They were blocked and the small, hometown runner caught the ball and ran it down to score his team’s needed touch down. Parents cried, schoolmates screamed and the small community cheered for their small town team was going to State. My brother, the small runner, was going to State, and the old saying showed true again, never give up.
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