Painting a picture of football success

We’ve always had a lot to be proud of at Lawrence High School. Our latest achievement has been the continued success of our amazing football team that finished the season undefeated.
The football spirit was at its highest peak this year, thanks to a lot of our great seniors who wanted to make the most of their last football season. At Lawrence’s homecoming game in October, a group of seniors (me included) painted letters on their bodies spelling out “Let’s Go Tornadoes!” This has become a tradition for seniors and was something that was on my senior bucket list. If anyone has letter-painting on their own list, it’s important to note that acrylic paint is not the way to go; it’s a struggle to get off and will leave a red after-mark of a letter on your stomach for hours. Trust me, I speak from experience.
Though the rest of the football games might not have had as much paint, the same level of spirit surrounded every single game. You could feel the anticipation in the halls when each game approached and the calm, but confident “we got this” attitude that every student exerted.
As we neared the end of the season, the excitement continued to increase as the Nassau County and Long Island championships approached. Although I unfortunately had to miss the county win, I made sure I was there for the LIC: the last football game I would witness as a student at Lawrence High.
About two hours before the game, seniors gathered in the chilly 32° weather for a pre-game tailgate. About 10 minutes before kickoff, we entered Hofstra’s football stadium. Parents, students, and alumni (including a large group of football team alums) attended the game to support Lawrence.

People kept warm by huddling up under blankets and drinking hot chocolate and coffee. When the game began, it was quickly noted that both Lawrence and Sayville had teams of considerable talent and neither would be easy to beat. The score was close for the entire game, keeping the audience on their toes. Lawrence’s side was constantly cheering highlighted by the signature “Lawrence Rumble” to showcase our enthusiasm and love for our team.
Sayville was leading 35-34 with a little more than a minute remaining, when everyone was literally on the edge of their seats. Then, that glorious fumble occurred and Melik Mavruk ran 82 yards for the winning touchdown that secured Lawrence’s 40-35 victory.
Our side immediately erupted into pure, excited craziness over the incredible moment that occurred. Jaws dropped open and people leapt off the bleachers screaming and shouting. When everyone finally calmed down, the game resumed with everyone eagerly awaiting the final seconds when we could finally, officially call ourselves the Class III Long Island champions for the third consecutive year. What a fantastic way for the last football game of our senior year to end.