Friday night lights struck once again last Friday against the North Scott Lancers. This game was no ordinary game; it was a high-stakes battle for a chance to go and contend for a state championship. The Spartan boys needed a victory, and that is all they wanted. With confidence as high as ever, the boys were focused throughout the school day–so focused that it was earbuds in and no human communication. Come game time and the student section was in full bloom, screaming as normal.
The game was a long fought battle, but in the end, North Scott came out on top. Their powerful offense was too much for the Spartan defense to handle in the second half. PV went into halftime winning and came out in the end with a loss. This seems like a recurring pattern with the Spartans. Senior lineman Zach Pilger thinks, “We get too comfortable in situations and slow our pace and allow teams to compete with us.” This is an interesting perspective which also seems to happen in faster-paced sports such as basketball.
But with every tough loss comes depression and other strong emotions. How should one deal with these emotions? Specifically, how do Pleasant Valley players and students handle these losses? A simple way may be to keep heads up and look for the positives. An example of this would be senior lineman Zach Pilger’s response when asked how he feels the team’s chances are for making the playoffs. “We have a slim shot, but we need to execute the next two games and beat Dubuque Hempstead and Senior to control what we can.” This is one positive way a Spartan handles a loss. Another way a Spartan handles a loss is Frontline leader Mark Conway’s simple response of, “I don’t like to dwell on it; move on and get better.”
But with positivity comes negativity, that is simply the balance of life. An example of a negative way of dealing with a loss is by using drugs or depressants such as alcohol. Obviously, high schoolers do not condone these activities, but some professional players certainly do. With many alcohol-related deaths and accidents after losses in the pros, it is possible that sometimes it is very hard to stay positive. The fact that the Spartans generally do not deal with losses negatively shows such strength and responsibility coming from the students. With positivity in mind, the Spartans are going to move on with their heads up into next week’s challenge with a slim chance of making the playoffs. That certainly won’t deter them from playing their hearts out.
