Somebody Has to Step Up

I’m starting to sound like a broken record.

Another week where the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. I’ve watched these guys take their lumps, get back to work, and get better week after week. I’ve seen the progress. I’ve seen the big plays, the hard hits, and the moments when you can see things starting to click. So when I say this team is better than its record or the scoreboard suggests, it’s not because I’m trying to make anybody feel better. It’s because I’ve been there watching it happen.

But I’m getting tired of saying it. And I’m guessing the kids are getting tired of hearing it.

Because at some point, improvement needs to show up on the scoreboard. And against Middleton, the Eagles couldn’t find the end zone.

Getting shut out sucks. There’s no way around it. It doesn’t matter how hard you played or how much progress you’ve made. You can do a lot of things right and still walk off the field without anything to show for it. There were some really good plays on both sides of the ball Wednesday night, but there weren’t enough of them. Not enough sustained intensity. Not enough guys making plays when the team needed them most.

And when things started going the wrong way, the Eagles struggled to find a way to change the momentum.

That brings us to this week’s lessons: Leadership and Wanting It.

Because in football, just like in life, nobody owes you anything. Nothing is given to you. You don't get a win because you worked hard all week. You don't make a play because you were supposed to. You don't earn respect just because you put on the same uniform as everybody else.

You have to earn it. Every single day.

And you have to want it.

Not just want to win when things are going your way. Not just want it when you're making plays and everybody's fired up. You have to want it when you're tired, when you're frustrated, when you've made a mistake, and when the scoreboard isn't going your way. Especially then.

You have to want it badly enough to line up for the next play and give everything you've got. You have to want it badly enough to do the little things right when nobody's watching. And you have to want it badly enough that the guy standing next to you knows it without you having to say a word.

Because your teammates need to know you want it. They need to see it in how you practice, how you compete, how you respond to adversity, and how you carry yourself when things get tough. Your effort should make the guy next to you want to give more.

And the other team needs to know, too. They need to see a group of Eagles who aren't going away, who aren't backing down, and who are going to make them earn every yard. They need to know they're going to have to bring everything they've got because you're bringing everything you've got, too.

That's where leadership comes in.

Football is a game of momentum. Things are going well, and everybody's fired up. Then something goes wrong. A bad play. A penalty. A turnover. Suddenly, the energy changes. Heads drop. Guys get frustrated. The intensity disappears.

Learning to shake that off immediately and focus on the next play is hard. It's hard for grown men, and it's especially hard for high school kids who are still figuring out how to handle adversity.

That's when somebody needs to step up.

Somebody needs to make a play, lay the wood, get in a teammate's face, and simply refuse to let the energy die. Somebody needs to fire everybody back up and remind the team that the game isn't over. Somebody needs to make it clear that this team isn't done.

You can't expect the coaches to do it. You can't hope for a teammate to do it. And you can't wait for somebody to give you permission to be that guy.

You have to want it badly enough to step up and lead.

You don't have to be the star player. You don't have to be a captain. You don't need anybody to tell you you're a leader. The best leaders aren't waiting for someone to give them permission or the title. They step up because somebody needs to.

You have to want it enough to hold yourself accountable and push the guys around you to be better. You have to want it enough that your teammates believe in you and believe that you're all fighting for the same thing.

There are a lot of guys on this roster who could fill that role. I hope somebody is ready to take that responsibility. Better yet, I hope several of them are.

Because this isn't just about football. It's about learning that the things worth having in life don't just land in your lap. Nobody is entitled to success. You have to work for it. You have to earn it. And when things get hard, you have to decide whether you want it badly enough to keep going.

One game left.

One more week to get better. One more chance to put everything together. One more opportunity to show what this team is made of.

Let's have a hell of a week of practice. Let's bring the intensity, take care of the little things, and hold each other accountable. Let's make sure everybody in that locker room knows what we're playing for.

And to the guys in that locker room: this is your chance to step up.

Don't wait for somebody else to bring the energy. Don't wait for a coach to light a fire under you. Don't wait for a teammate to make the big play. Be that guy. Be the one who picks his teammates up when they're down. Be the one who refuses to let the intensity drop. Be the one who makes everybody around him want to work harder, compete harder, and fight harder.

Don't say you're a leader. Show it. Don't tell people how badly you want to win. Show them. Show your teammates at practice. Show your coaches in the little things. And when you line up across from the other team next week, make damn sure they know it.

Make them see it. Make your teammates believe it. Make us watching feel it. Make it impossible to question how badly you want it.

Nobody is going to hand you a win. You have to go out and earn it together.

One game left. One more chance to leave it all on the field.

Who's going to step up?

Let's go finish this thing.

Go Eagles!