LYNNWOOD – Something strange happened on the campus of Lynnwood High School on Friday.
People talked football.
The day after a tight win by the Royals in their last game of the season – their first win on the field in five years – the electricity still was buzzing among players and fans.
Teammates proudly wore their jerseys. The marching band led a parade through school. Even those who didn’t like football joined in the accolades.
“It was like we won something big … like the Super Bowl,” said student James Cruz, 18.
“That was probably the best sporting event I have ever attended in my life,” added Kegan Maher, 18. “A lot of people feel proud.”
The two seniors were among the faithful fans who, once again, cheered for the Royals Thursday night. But this time, there was more than hope as Lynnwood pulled out a 27-26 overtime victory against the South Whidbey Falcons.
“Usually after a football game, people are sad. They don’t even talk about it,” said Tamara Lagrandeur, 15, a sophomore.
“You go just for the fun of it, because you know you’re going to lose,” agreed Alex Stankovic, 17, a junior.
Instead, on Friday, sophomore lineman Evan Haney was struggling to talk after losing his voice cheering with his teammates and the fans who poured onto the field following the game.
“We’re going to come out hitting next year,” promised Haney, 15.
“It seems like we don’t have a weight on our shoulders anymore,” added fellow sophomore Gilbert Martin, 15, a quarterback for the team.
Younger students and players said they were most happy for the team’s seniors, some of whom wept with emotion after the game.
“It meant everything in the world. Nothing in high school could replace the feeling of winning that game last night,” said Josh Peterson, 17, one of two seniors to play all four years on the varsity team.
Players wore their jerseys to school for the first time to demonstrate their win. Classmates came up to shake their hands and give them hugs.
“You could walk around the halls and feel you could lift your head a little higher because you could say you won,” said Brian Hill, 17, a senior tailback. “The scoreboard showed you tried your hardest for once.”
Technically, Lynnwood’s losing streak ended last week at 42 games when it was announced that Kamiak had to forfeit a game played earlier in the season for using ineligible players.
Thursday’s victory was the first time the Royals (2-8) had won a game on the field since their final game in 1999 – a 46-game dry spell.
The game ended up a nail-biter.
Leading 20-0 in the second half, the game looked like a shoo-in for Lynnwood. But the Falcons came back in methodical fashion, and by the end of regulation play the score was tied at 20. A stopped two-point conversion kept Lynnwood from losing again.
“We all pretty much felt like we were going to win the game,” said Mike Clapper, 17, a junior offensive tackle and defensive end. “But we started celebrating a little too soon. It got real intense at the end.”
In the stands, fans were getting nervous, senior Samantha Mills said.
“Everybody was like, ‘Get loud! Get loud!’ to give them as much support as we could,” the 17-year-old said. “I was, like, ‘Whoever is religious, please pray now.’ “
On the sidelines, junior cheerleader Aphten Preston said she and others were in disbelief by the end of the game.
“It wasn’t really setting in. ‘Did that really happen?’ Because it’s been so long,” the 16-year-old said.
The win meant some quick training for marching band students, who until now had no reason to lead a celebration.
“We’re supposed to play after touchdowns, but there were no touchdowns,” band director Amy Gentry quipped.
Beyond the stadium lights, the victory put a much-needed exclamation point on what had been a year without celebrations, principal David Golden said.
The high school gym flooded shortly before the school year started, and repairs are just now being completed. So there was no welcome-back assembly, no school dance and no pep rally. Homecoming has been pushed back to basketball season.
“It’s been a tough fall for us. This was a nice boost,” Golden said. “There’s a bit of lightness around this school.”
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.
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