Homecoming week at McLean always brings an exciting atmosphere to campus, and such excitement was evident during the Highlanders’ varsity football game against Fairfax on Oct. 28.
“[The Fairfax game] was hands down the most extraordinary experience of my life,” senior defensive end Matt Shaheen said. “I loved every second of it. The sights and sounds were something out of a movie.”
The cinematic masterpiece of a game was filled with drama and suspense all the way down to the final seconds, featuring an ending that Hollywood’s best screenwriters couldn’t have written better.
With Fairfax leading 20-14 nearing the end of the third quarter, the Rebels found themselves back in the red zone with a chance to score, but McLean senior defensive back Amir McCormick quickly ended Fairfax’s plans to extend their lead with a leaping end zone interception to prevent a touchdown.
“Going up for jump balls like that was a drill that we had done in practice, so now we see why we do it. All the hard work paid off,” said McCormick, a first year varsity player.
Late in the fourth quarter with the score still 20-14, Fairfax lined up for a field goal to attempt to make it a two-score game, only for the Highlander defense to come through in the clutch once again and block the kick.
Blocking the kick was the easy part, as now the Highlanders had to go 98 yards down the field in less than four minutes to try and take the lead, but this challenge did not faze junior quarterback Carter Govan.
“I knew there wasn’t much time left and that we needed to score, but the coaches had confidence in me and I had confidence in the team,” Govan said. “We had practiced the two-minute drill every day in practice so we knew what to do.”
With a confident Govan leading the offensive charge, the Highlanders stormed down the field thanks to key receptions by senior receivers McCormick, Robert Konnick and Gavin Legg, as well as a steady read-option running strategy that allowed Govan and junior running back Adam Taylor to gain yardage on the ground. The drive ended with Govan diving into the end zone on a gutsy six-yard run on fourth down that gave the Highlanders a 21-20 lead with less than a minute left to play.
The TD that gave us the lead!!! Highlanders win 28-20!!! What a game!!! pic.twitter.com/EzuzXfIBSW
— McLeanathletics (@McLeanathletics) October 29, 2016
“We were very anxious and hopeful during that drive,” McCormick said. “After we took the lead, it was like a burst of energy.”
The momentum took a massive shift following the kickoff as the Rebels executed a trick play to put themselves in position to kick a 28-yard go-ahead field goal with just seconds remaining.
“Lining up for the snap [for the Fairfax field goal], all I was thinking was that this kick isn’t going to steal my win on my senior night, that wasn’t the way I was going to go out,” Shaheen said. “All I remember is flying off the line and something smacking me in the helmet, and at that point immediately knowing that we had won.”
McLean’s blocked field goal return is ALLMETSPORTS top play for week nine!
Following Shaheen’s improbable helmet block, the ball bounced toward the sideline only to find the hands of McCormick, who scooped it up and ran it back 65 yards for the touchdown as the Highlander faithful went absolutely berserk.
“Just by the way the night was going, it felt almost like a movie, like I knew we were going to block it, but it was just a matter of where I was going to be when it happened,” McCormick said. “Luckily, Shaheen blocked it and I had the opportunity to get the ball and run it back for the score.”
As time officially ran out, hysterical Highlander fans flooded the field to join their heroes in celebration, an emotional epilogue to the insanity they had just witnessed, moving many players to tears. For the team, it was more than just a victory—it was a reminder of the road they had traveled to make it there.
What a night to be a Highlander!!#allmets @McLeanathletics pic.twitter.com/13hRRdNHNh
— Jackson Payne (@jackson5payne) October 29, 2016
“When all the fans ran on the field, it felt great, like everything had panned out and all our hard work had paid off,” McCormick said.
It had been a humbling season for the Highlanders, who hadn’t won a game prior to the miraculous homecoming victory, but amidst tremendous adversity the team never gave up on themselves and were ultimately rewarded for their efforts with one of the most memorable wins in school history.
“The adversity we faced definitely pushed us to get better,” Govan said. “We could have just given up on that game or the whole season but we kept pushing forward and never gave up.”
In enduring through a tough season, the players were able to learn valuable life lessons and see that football is about more than just wins and losses.
“Despite how the season flowed this year
I still managed to have a lot of fun with my brothers, and winning or losing won’t change that,” Shaheen said. “This sport and team have helped me build a lot of character. In life there is non-stop adversity and learning how to deal with it now has seriously helped me prepare for how to handle future situations. Football is the greatest choice I made going in high school… I’ve made lots of friends and memories to last a lifetime.”
