Against All Odds

Against All Odds

It is the kind of day that legends are made of and of which epic stories are told. And I was there. Please join me as I recount and relive one very interesting day. I’m not telling it in short format, so feel free to skip over any parts you want. But trust me, just as I would not wish this story to unfold in any other way than it did, I would recommend you read every word and let your spirit absorb the wonder of the day.

Saturday morning and I was up at 5:00 a.m. Tired, but looking forward to driving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to watch the University of Alberta Golden Bears football team face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the playoffs of the 2010/2011 college football season. My friends Bob and Jocelyn have a son – Jean-Marc that plays defense for the Bears and I have watched him play for the past five years. This is his last year of college football. The Head Coach of the Bears is also a friend. Jerry Friesen is the only head football coach I’ve ever known at the college level, and has a very interesting leadership style. He is not a yeller and a screamer at all, but seems to be a quiet encourager – unusual in light of the sport he coaches.

I’m not going to lie. In some ways, it had been a painful year of watching the Bears. Though they started off in September looking strong – they won their first two games – they ended up winning only one more out of the next six games and ended up with a 3-5 record, squeaking into the playoffs in the 4^th spot. The weekend before, we had traveled to the University of Calgary to get trounced by the Dinos by a score of 37 – 5 and I thought it was the worst game I had experienced to date. The very first play, we returned the kickoff for a touchdown, but because of a holding penalty, it was taken back. A few weeks before, I had watched the University of Saskatchewan defeat us decisively at our homecoming game 33 – 9. And the week before that, I watched us work hard to win a game against the University of Calgary and had the game stolen from us with only a few minutes to go in the 4^th quarter. There was a decisive point where one of our guys could not quite receive a pass, but tipped it right into the hands of a Dino who ran 45 yards for a touchdown.

It was at this point, when this highly improbable interception happened, it occurred to me that something bigger than these games was going on. Seriously, they were now losing games against all odds. They were playing well in some games, getting a lead, but then losing in the most unlikely ways. My thought then was “God is working on someone or something.” I believed it then and believe it now.

From this fan’s perspective, there was a lot of hard work going on, but very few results. But when supporting your friends, it is important to just appreciate their hard work – if I see someone working hard for their objectives or for something they love to do, I am willing to throw my weight (which is considerable) behind them. These guys did not appear lazy or complacent. A key play would happen for the opponent and our team would receive the short end of the stick yet again.

Saturday, their task was to play and win against the #3 team in the country of Canada – the University of Saskatchewan Huskies – and on the Huskies’ home turf to boot. Saskatchewan takes their football seriously. They are consistently good performers. Bob and Jocelyn’s other son, Cory, played for them for four years and had some great experiences. Griffiths Stadium is a beautiful stadium that seats 5,000 fans. Back in 1936, on opening day of the first Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies beat the Golden Bears 5-3. The stadium was rebuilt a few hundred yards from the original site in 1967 with additional improvements in 2006, thanks to a $5M donation from PotashCorp.

Arrival at Griffiths Stadium – 12:10 p.m. Weather conditions – sunny and warm. Stadium conditions – Bears fans outnumbered by Huskies fans by an estimated factor of 200 to 1. Over 3,500 in attendance.

5:15 a.m. – hop in shower, dress in requisite Golden Bears hoodie, pack a bag with books and computer, head over to meet Bob and Jocelyn at 6:15 a.m. We picked up Nancy Glesman and a cuppa jo at the Sherwood Park Tim Horton’s on the way. The drive from Edmonton to Saskatoon was beautiful since the day was quite beautiful. Unseasonably warm temperatures, sunny skies, and the sunny dispositions of my travelling companions made for a thoroughly enjoyable trip.

We stopped in Battleford for some lunch. Bob showed us a newspaper with a headline claiming that Saskatchewan feared an upset by the Bears. I told Bob that I did not believe any of the Huskies feared the Bears. In that same article one of the Huskies was quoted as saying there was no way this was going to be a bad game for him since this was going to be his final post-season. Seriously, the Huskies had a 6-2 season compared to the Bears 3-5 season. Any betting person would realize that a bet on the Bears would be considered a long shot.

Fireworks and a huge cheering squad led the Huskies onto the field. Three minutes later, the Huskies scored a field goal. End of first quarter: Huskies 3, Bears 0.

The Huskies scored the first three points of the game early on. Our defense was having a great day, though, and they held the Huskies back for the entire rest of the first quarter. We were having a good time in the stands – in front of us was a family of 3 generations of men – a grandfather, his son and two grandsons. The young grandsons were quite fun to watch as they experienced one of their early football games. As the foot stomping began in the 1^st quarter, one of the young boys turned to his dad and asked “Why are you doing that?”

A boring second quarter – Huskies scored two more field goals early on, and Edmonton finally kicked a field goal a little over halfway into the 2^nd quarter. End of second quarter: Huskies 9, Bears 3.

It was clear that the Huskies’ quarterback was getting frustrated. His body language and he was quickly on and off the field spoke volumes. A very well-seasoned quarterback, he was used to passing the ball well and having it received well, too. But he threw a number of incomplete passes in the first half of this game. Our defense continued doing a great job, though the Huskies managed to get into position for two field goals. Our kicker did a great job getting a 46 yard field goal to get us on the board at last.

Cory’s girlfriend, Lindsey, joined us, and Cory arrived shortly after halftime. Lindsey is a very interesting young lady and it was fun to hear about how she is working at the fieldhouse in the area of fitness and training with a heart-healthy focus. She comes from a farming family and we had actually passed their farm on our way to Saskatoon. She is very friendly, has an infectious laugh, and it was fun to catch up.

11 minutes into the 3^rd quarter, the Huskies had scored three touchdowns in fairly quick succession. With 7 seconds to spare in the 3^rd quarter, the Bears scored their first touchdown of the game. End of third quarter: Huskies 30, Bears 10.

It was hard to watch the three touchdowns scored by the Huskies. Our defense was being taxed big-time. They spent an inordinate amount of time on the field. Our offense was not able to stay on the field for any significant length of time, and we were looking a little tired. With 7 seconds left in the 3^rd quarter, the Bears’ quarterback pass connected with our receiver, which garnered us our first touchdown. It felt good to get some points on the board, but it still seemed like a long shot to victory.

Glancing toward the sky, there was a large cloud formation that looked like an angel’s wing. I pointed it out to Nancy and Lindsey and laughed at myself for wondering if it was possible that an angel had actually shown up.

Almost halfway into the 4^th quarter, and no further action. At the 7 minute mark, though, the Bears scored again. Huskies 30, Bears 17.

It was great to see the Bears get another touchdown, but we still knew the odds were long they would see victory today. I pointed out to Nancy that the angel wing still appeared to be overlooking us.

Five minutes pass by, and no further scoring. Huskies 30, Bears 17, with less than 3 minutes left in the game.

And then it happened. Something clicked. The Bears scored another touchdown. We were marching down the field, passes were connecting, and the running game was working, too. The Bears’ quarterback looked intense, though he had passed up a few opportunities to run the ball himself, and seemed to let the clock run down unnecessarily a couple of times.

I looked to the sky – Got Wing? Yes.

I knew it COULD happen, but WOULD it? I could not sit – I wanted to really see these plays and I was believing it would happen. There was a little bit of angel wing still in the sky and an energy in our team that I had not seen before. Just about 2 minutes later it did. A long pass into the end-zone, the kind we have normally not been receiving, was received. With 22 seconds left in the game, we converted and led the game. Golden Bears 31, Huskies 30.

Seriously??? I mean, really??? 22 seconds later and we were the victors in the most amazing football game I had ever witnessed and likely will ever witness. Years of witnessing disappointment in the faces of the Bears’ players had conditioned me to the point that I forgot what can happen when God shows up. I do absolutely believe that there are no coincidences, no accidents, and that God called this game long before anyone else did.

I totally appreciate the faithfulness of the Bears over the past few years and in this game. Jerry and Jean-Marc are men that are exceptionally faithful leaders in my view. Though struggles abounded, and seemingly senseless losses occurred, I never noticed despondent behavior, but rather 110% effort on and off the field. And during this game in particular, I totally appreciate the team’s faithfulness as they were 110% engaged through the entire game, never giving up, but going for it.

I can make no claims on knowing what God’s will is or his purpose is in particular situations, but on this game day, I witnessed what happens when our will and God’s will aligns. There are no odds high enough that His will cannot overcome. He is a God that achieves mighty feats….against all odds.

Final Score: Golden Bears 31, Huskies 30, Kathy - 1 huge dose of faith.