Academica

On our way to Academica my father explains the all the rules and regulations of the bar and tells me to stay away from any unsavory characters. He begins to tell me of all of the fights he had had to break up and even join. As I walk into my father’s sanctuary he describes to me all his friends and enemies. A man tall, stocky and rugged approaches me and introduces himself as Buckey and explains how he and my Dad have been best friends since high school and not to worry about the guys in the club. Men walk by me and stare, there are 3 flat screen televisions over the bar, 2 pool tables cover the other half of the room, and a foosball table sits in the corner near the restaurant entrance.
My Dad exclaims how I have to meet one of his friends. As I approach this man he gives me an awkward look and tilts his head like he has been waiting for my arrival. He is average height, his brown hair is beginning to recite, he is well built with a face-covered rough beard, and he’s wearing his favorite soccer team’s jersey. It’s my uncle Carlos; he asks me how I’m doing in school and soccer. I respond with the usual answers and he sits me down and we watch our favorite team Benfica play their rivals FC Porto. The mean all gather around to watch the game, and before the game is even started men are arguing and talking shit to one another in portuguese. As the game goes on men talk about the players and eventually end up talking about their past accomplishments and failures in the past. As I listen I hear of their struggles and achievements I recognize they all listen to each other and put their own input and laugh and enjoy one other, and I think to myself I could only wish my friends and I could have the same relationship as we get older.
The game ends and of course my team Benfica win 2-1. The men begin to leave the club one by one, two by two and soon it’s only me, my father and my uncle Carlos. My father asks me why I picked Academica for my assignment. I pause for a minute and look at my father and tell them I wanted to see where my father hangs out and because my grandfather used to be a member of the club before he died and he would always be at the club and I always wanted to see what was so good about the club that he always was there and now I realize that the men in the club are more like brothers and have a special bond, in which they keep until they can’t physically drive. My father and uncle put their hands on my shoulder and give me a smile and we exit the club.

EAC Championship

Brent Carvalho
Holly Pappas
9/23/09
EAC Championship Goal
It was a bright and sunny day in home field Somerset, and I was a sophomore and I was starting in one of the most important games of my life, the Eastern Athletic Conference title. We were playing our rivals Bishop Feehan High School. My family came to watch and it was one of the seldom times my father had come because of his work schedule. We all were nervous because we had never won the EAC title before and our coach was relying on us.
Before the game, my coach pulled me aside and said “Brent I’m relying on you to come up big today, and for your size you’re one of the best players I’ve seen”. The game had started and both teams were playing rough and hard to win the title. The first half had ended in a draw and everyone was anxious. My coach called everyone together and was going to give the half time speech. Coach Nile said “The difference between winners and losers is half of an inch and the winners are the ones that will sacrifice their body and do anything just to get that half inch. You will regret this for the rest of your life if you’re the one who ended not fighting for that last inch, so I want you to go out there and get that half inch!”
We went out that half going in for every ball and playing harder than ever. Our captain was injured on a bad challenge from one of the players on the other team. This fueled us even more because they were trying to get him out of the game in the worst way. We kept shooting hard shots, but their goalie was on his game saving them all. Within the last 5 minutes of the game Fabian Schloff had shot the ball from 20 yards out and the ball came back to me, then the goalie came out to get it from me, and I swiftly chipped it over his head. As he stepped back to get it I just stood there and everyone including the crowd held their breath. Just then the ball soared over his head into the back of the net and everyone cheered and was going nuts. My teammates were chasing me and jumping, and even our goalie Jordan came from the other end to congratulate me.
After everyone on my team was finished celebrating with me and I looked over to my father and family. My dad was crying with excitement. I felt like I was on top of the world at that time. For the last 5 minutes we had played it safe and possessed the ball well to take the final win. Finally, the whistle blew and I ran to the bench and the whole team was congratulating me and the spectators. I spoke with my dad and he said he was so proud of me and gave me a hug. Then the writer for the Spectator, the local newspaper, wanted to give me an interview over the recent championship win. He asked me questions about the game and how I felt. Later, my coach came up to me and shook my hand and told me I did great and awarded me the player of the game aka the (top gun).
The next day I was on the head page of the sports section of the “Spectator”. Everyone was calling me to tell me to read it. It read “Carvalho leads Somerset Raiders to the EAC Championship”. It was my greatest accomplishment and a memory I will never forget for the rest of my life. I started playing in a Somerset-Swansea youth soccer league at the age of 4 and taking the first team before the game with a ball. My parents cheering me on even though the games were pointless. It began to become a passion at 12 when I joined my first competitive team Nor’easter. As I got into high school I considered soccer as a getaway for me and my ticket into college and a better life.