Stinson Says #6 - WE DID IT!!!
September 10, 2008 - WE DID IT!!! WE DID IT!!! We have finally accomplished what so many take for granted. We won a CIS football game for the first time in 50 games.
The feelings and emotions of what has gone through our veins in the last few days has been something I think only the players can describe. They can only be described through tears, hugs, chants, and screams. No words can begin to describe the years of focus, dedication, pain, time, exhaustion, and scrutiny these Varsity Blues have had to overcome. The win is a true testament of what can be accomplished if you just believe, stay focused and constantly work hard at living “above the line”.
When that final whistle blew and the players ran onto the field it was a state of euphoria. Everyone on the team felt the pressure of winning, whether they were a first-year player who just endured one of the toughest training camps in Blues history, or a fifth-year guy who had yet to win a CIS game.
As we rushed the field, we looked for each other for the assurance that WE FINALLY did it. We got blindsided and mauled by the hundreds of screaming fans, frosh, parents and alumni who seemed to enjoy this as much as the players.
I was hugged, tugged, pulled, shook, screamed at, kissed, and even punched in all the excitement. Random frosh were hugging us and congratulating us and it seemed like every player who had gone through the program in my 5 years was there celebrating. Anyone I have ever met at university was hugging me and screaming congratulations – it was the single, greatest moment in my university career.
This win was not just for the fifth- and fourth-year guys, it was not just for the administration, this win was for everyone who is and was involved in the program since its founding. The losing streak has been a black mark in the proud winning tradition of Varsity Blues football.
This streak has opened the eyes of many and has, in a way, revitalized the program. The alumni is coming back and creating a strong, solid force to bring the tradition back. The administration has re-committed itself to high performance in sport, and the players have learned the hard way about what it takes to win and the hard work and determination needed to achieve success.
This victory should be one that is remembered for years to come. Not as the win that broke the streak but as the win that signifies the return of a proud program and the revitalization of the historic Varsity Blues.
