Owls Battle in the Heat, Complete Undefeated Season

I have a neighbor whose kids have just started playing youth sports. The kids are all young and this past fall, his twin sons were on a flag football team that won the town championship. I remember him telling me about the conversation he and his boys had in the car on the way home, trophies clutched in their hands, a glow filling the backseat.

“You know, most people never win anything,” he told them. “Enjoy this, because you never know how many times in your life you’ll get to feel this.”

As the JV Ultimate team rode the bus to Middletown for our final frisbee game of the season on Wednesday, those words filled my mind. Behind me in the seats of the bus were a bunch of blue-clad kids. Silly, kind, enthusiastic, smart, witty kids—but also kids who were about to experience something most people never get to do: attempt to finish a season undefeated.

Now, no season is perfect. Sports humble us, challenge us, and push us to grow, trust, and lift ourselves (and our teammates) up. These aren’t just sports skills; they are life skills. And our JV Ultimate Frisbee team developed those skills beautifully this season. Sure, we did end up going 6–0 (including four wins against varsity teams), but everyone on this team also grew. They grew as ultimate frisbee players, they grew as people, and they grew as friends.

So how did they do it? On this day--a rematch with a challenging and physically imposing Saint John Paul II team--they did it with masterful defense from Óscar, Micah, Sam, Connor, and Bradley. Each of them stayed glued to their defenders in the end zone and raced to challenge every handler from St. John Paul II, getting the stall count started immediately. They did it with the tireless effort and deft midfield play of Avery and Christian, who consistently blew past defenders, opening up the field for teammates to create more action and opportunity.

One of the major challenges the team faced was the reality that the game was played on a very small field. This played to SJP’s advantage, as they were a varsity team composed of 7th and 8th graders who held a clear height advantage over the 5th and 6th grade Owls. Without a stretched midfield, SJP was able to launch pass after pass into the end zone, essentially creating “Hail Mary” opportunities on nearly every possession.

Nevertheless, TCS scored the first two points of the day, with Cam and Gideon each sailing forehand passes to Jake on crossing routes in the end zone.

SJP answered with three straight scores to take a 3–2 lead. Cam and Jake connected again to even the score, but in the muggy 85-degree air, the frisbees were taking erratic routes on the cramped field and proved difficult to track.

SJP took a 4–3 lead before TCS rattled off five straight scores to open up the game. Ben hit Jack to tie it, then Jake snagged a deep strike from Cam for their third scoring connection of the day. Matthias also scored from Cam, then Jake appeared on the assist side of the box score with a deft dish to Jack. Moments later, a beautiful toss from Gideon to Jack gave the team an 8–4 halftime lead.

SJP narrowed the score to 8–5, but Cam answered with a throw to a leaping Ben for a 9–5 advantage. Play was then halted for nearly ten minutes due to an injury timeout after two SJP players collided while breaking up a pass intended for Ben in the end zone. One player had to be carried off the field, and we hope for a quick recovery. Players from both teams took a knee and applauded the injured player’s courage as he headed off to have his knee evaluated.

When play resumed, SJP scored once more before Ben delivered a beautiful backhand that floated softly into the ever-improving hands of Clark. The final score of the season for the mighty Owls came on a connection from Cam to Aydin before a last-minute strike from SJP brought the game to its final score of 11–7.

So what does it mean to be undefeated? It means you weren’t beaten. But as I look at this photograph, another powerful idea comes to mind: even if we had finished this season 0–6, I still don’t think this team would have been defeated. On paper, maybe. In the standings, sure. But even in losing, this is a resilient, powerful group of kids who rise to challenges and press on regardless of the mountains before them. They are the kind of people who will one day say, “If I don’t stop, I can’t lose.”

That’s the truth of it.

This was a wonderful group. And whether literally or figuratively, they completed an undefeated season. I hope they take a moment to enjoy how it feels, because most people never get to experience the glow of knowing that, for one magical season, they were a part -- an irreplaceable part -- of something truly special.