Rivalries Never Die

Hi! 

I got to go home again last weekend. (I know what you're thinking, "She goes home every weekend!" but it was fall break so I had a legitimate excuse this time!!!) And as an added bonus I got to go a football game.

But not just any football game.

A Nyssa vs. Vale football game.

For those of you who aren't from Malheur County (which would make sense since the county population is only 30,630; no really, there are more cows than people) that is a big deal. Like Lakers-Celtics (in the Magic Johnson - Larry Bird era) big, Ravens-Steelers serious, and Texas-Oklahoma college football passionate. 

No exaggeration.

Plus, I hate Vale. 

Sorry Vale people who may be reading this, I like some of you, but when you've cultivated a hate for as long as I have it's hard to let go.

Sorry...kind of.

Anywho, if that wasn't enough, both teams were undefeated, and ranked 3 (Nyssa) and 4 (Vale) in the state. The winner was pretty much guaranteed first place in the league and two home playoff games. And between the two teams they had pretty much beaten (or the people they had beaten had beaten) every team in the valley.

So serious bragging rights were coming from this game. And EVERYONE came to watch.

Well, as many people constitute everyone in Malheur County (and we're back to the cow thing...)

And the game was in Vale. I hate Vale.

It was a crazy game. Vale scored on the third play of the game. 

Then Nyssa scored three times.

And Vale scored again.

And for fun, Vale threw in nine personal fouls during all that.

Well, nine that got called anyway...classy.

Sorry Vale people...again...kind of.

So the score was 13-20 with like three minutes left.

And I thought it was over.

Hah, I was wrong. Vale scored again which made it 19-20 with about two minutes left.

And then they went for two!

And barely didn't get it. And took 10 years off my life in the process. Thanks a lot boys.

So we got the ball with just under two minutes and managed to get two first downs to clinch the win.

Hahahah! I was so excited.

I hate Vale.

I've said that a lot, huh? Sorry...kind of.

I went to take a picture of the scoreboard but they turned it off before the last seconds even ran out.

A little bitter maybe? 

It was great. 

Also this happened:

But this is what was really happening:

I was so proud of the boys. It wasn't their best game ever, but they pulled it off. I also want to point out that Vale had nine personal fouls, and Nyssa had none. What does that tell you?

Also, I love being from a small town where the high school football game is the biggest deal in town. 

It really was too. (Remember what I said about cows? We don't get out much. Sports are all we've got.)

It's always a great day to be a bulldog. (And the boys got bumped to number one in the state rankings!)

The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.

-McKenna