What is your Dagger to the Heart memory?

bradgator2

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So, during the Speith meltdown during the Master's.... several people in the box started sharing stories of similar meltdowns or a specific weak performance from back in the day that still haunts them. I thought it would be fun to read some other tales.

I'll start. I was a pretty successful high school wrestler in the 6A, 119 weight class. (Maintaining that weight my senior year was a challenge). Won district championship my soph and junior year, won regions junior year, wrestled in the state tourney twice (top 16 in the state). I beat this one kid from Flecher HS 5 times over the years. He was always scrappy, but I had his number. Senior year, district championship, in my own ****ing gym at Forrest... it's him and me in the finals. He won on points, in double overtime. I was obviously the favorite and everyone cheers for the underdog. The gym-full crowd erupts in a deafening roar of cheers and applause when he wins.

About 15 years after graduation, I stopped by Forrest to say hi to the wrestling coach. He said he tells that story of that gym erupting in applause to every class.

I still think about that one match and that dude. Most people on here know I am a runner now. When I am training, and I am hurting, and I need a break.... I think about that ****er for a mental edge.
 

Ray Finkle

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I went to state my senior year in cross-country, which is ran in the fall. In the spring, we ran track. Last race of my high school career was the 2 mile at regionals, where the top 2 in each race go to state. Going around the first turn on lap 8, the guy I was battling for second with gave me a nudge. I was on the inside and my foot caught the rail, I stumbled and lost about six paces on him. I caught him about 2 steps past the finish line. Last race of my high school career was a 2 mile where I missed the cut by half a second. The guy that beat me completely schit the bed at state, which in a way made me happy, because **** him.
 

Gatorhunter

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In 4th grade I made it to the district spelling bee championship. The bytch calling the words out had a bad lisp. I struggled with it all night but managed to make it all the way down to the final 2. I bet I asked her to pronounce that last word 10 times but still spelled it with a 'sth' on the end. The winner would have gotten a sweet trophy and gone to state. Oh what could have been. I'll never forgive that lady.
 

TheDouglas78

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I went to state my senior year in cross-country, which is ran in the fall. In the spring, we ran track. Last race of my high school career was the 2 mile at regionals, where the top 2 in each race go to state. Going around the first turn on lap 8, the guy I was battling for second with gave me a nudge. I was on the inside and my foot caught the rail, I stumbled and lost about six paces on him. I caught him about 2 steps past the finish line. Last race of my high school career was a 2 mile where I missed the cut by half a second. The guy that beat me completely schit the bed at state, which in a way made me happy, because **** him.

Was sure you were going to mention that time in the Super Bowl where Dan Mario set the ball down laces in.
 

TLB

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Shell shock experience comes to mind first:

Jr. year playing varsity soccer for GHS, we go up to Orange Park who had been a powerhouse for years. Those unfamiliar with formations, our defense was a diamond with a left back, a right back, a sweeper in front of the goalie, and a 'point' who was centered and between the sweeper and the midfield. Our sweeper was injured and out for the game. I'm naturally a left defensive player, but coach starts me at sweeper. Orange Park scores 2 goals. They swap me with the Point player, and OP scores 2 more goals. They move me out to my usual left back position, and OP scores 2 more goals. I'm benched for the rest of the game. OP scores 2 more goals. We lost 8-0.


Dagger? Can't say I recall one, but the closest would have to be this:

Sr. year playing varsity soccer for GHS we make it to regionals against Tallahassee Leon. We'd beat them at home earlier in the season 2-1, and tied them in a tournament at their place 1-1. Nobody in GHS history had ever gotten this far and we were a very good team. Regional match was at their home stadium, but it was some week where all of our student council were in Tallahassee, so we had about 50-75 kids in the stands going nuts for us. On one play I get decked from behind and am knocked out. I wake up screaming "Who did it?!?!" figuring it was a cheap shot - maybe it was, probably wasn't, but my ego was pretty bruised. Anyway, with about 10 min left they shoot, it rebounds around, and they get a goal. Only chance of it being called back was if they were off-sides (in an illegal position to touch the ball), but I saw one of our players had drifted out of position and kept them on-sides. No travesty, nothing illegal, .... nothing more than one of my team mates was out of position and their team capitalized. Farthest any GHS team had gotten, and we blew it. It wouldn't be until about 4 yrs later that a GHS team made of a lot of our younger brothers would make it back to regionals, maybe even the Final Four, but no GHS team has won state that I know of. We had our chance.
 

GatorBart

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I shot a 79 at Regionals to make it to Sectionals in golf my senior year of HS, where I shot my best competitive round of golf ever, a 77, on a course that I had never played before. I strode up to the club house where my HS golf coach was waiting and gave him a big thumbs up. We were both pretty excited until we found out (after all the other golfers came in) that 76 was the cut for making it to State. :fatnanner:
 

MJMGator

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Senior year in high school and I finally get the opportunity to bang this chick I'd been trying to get for two years. I got too damn drunk, passed out and one of my buddies did the deed. The only positive is that she ended up pregnant and I didn't have to lose a wink of sleep over it.
 

t-gator

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Senior year against our rivals in the district basketball tournament. This dude banked in a 40 footer at the buzzer to end my highschool career. He picked up the ball on a turnover that should have been a foul call. They ended up winning districts and going on a good run in the state playoffs. Later that night I got into a fight and got my ass handed to me again. One of the worst nights ever.
 

stephenPE

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I beat this one kid from Flecher HS 5 times over the years. He was always scrappy, but I had his number. Senior year, district championship, in my own ****ing gym at Forrest... it's him and me in the finals. He won on points, in double overtime. I was obviously the favorite and everyone cheers for the underdog. The gym-full crowd erupts in a deafening roar of cheers and applause when he wins.
You made his life. I love that sport. But that weight thing is the problem. I guess if I had one it was my last game as a Sr in HS basketball. I had started since I was a freshman on the varsity basketball team. My jr sr years we had this dbag coach from Louisiana that had always had big guys inside to run that kind of offense but we didnt. We wanted to run and press. So my Sr year I discovered the Evil weed and probably played not as well. So I didnt start my last few games. They introduced the seniors and Im on the bench. So I just stood and waved. He said he meant to start me. It was really no big deal to me. I had played tons of basketball in HS. Side note. Our last game (regionals against Dayton bch Father Lopez Im on the bench 1st half. He say go in after half time and I play the whole half. I got my shots but they did not fall. Lopez was huge and beat us inside mostly. I was the PG, last not but not least my last HS football game I told the coach to let me play a little QB (i was always the back up) at the end of the PKY game. We were beating their assss. My buddy and fellow Sr athlete said look for me. My last play in HS was a 68 yrd TD pass to my buddy Anthony Crawford (called him wolf and he was the best 5'11" center you ever saw in HS basketball). them was the goooooooooood old days.

TLB, My kids in PE love soccer more than any game. I played some intramurals i n college and loved that game.
 
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TLB

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TLB, My kids in PE love soccer more than any game. I played some intramurals i n college and loved that game.

You ever try to teach them that bastardized version called "Gatorball" that was put on us in middle school?

I played club soccer from 14 to 18 yrs old. Nine of the starting 11 for my HS were starters on that club team together. Our club coach actually coached at Eastside. In college, my buddies and I managed to win all-campus intramurals against the frat's top team. Now, age 46, I'm lucky if I can run 2-3 miles.
 

stephenPE

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You ever try to teach them that bastardized version called "Gatorball" that was put on us in middle school?
We did and then mostly a game called Speedball. A lot like gator ball. They loved it, My buddy is teaching it at his school this year and says they are loving it.
 

It's Great

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I don't have one per se but Mr. Michael Jordan just saw his beloved tar heels lose in the championship on a buzzer beater and his Bulls record for most wins in a season get topped, all in the same month.

Would say 'sucks to be him', but well, it really still doesn't.
 

Captain Sasquatch

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My senior year of HS, my football team made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. In the first round, we were playing a team that had beaten us 7-0 in an absolute monsoon downpour earlier in the season, so revenge was on our minds. In the 2nd quarter, we were down 7-0, and had the ball on the 12 going in after a big kick return. We ran a bootleg and I was wide ass open in the flat. Caught the pass, turned up, and a kid came out of nowhere. I tried to reach the ball out to the goal line, and his helmet landed directly on the ball as I reached it out. Fumbled right into one of their guy's hands. We would end up getting the ball right back on an interception and would kick a FG, but that's all the scoring we managed for the night. Ended up losing 16-3, but not getting that TD changed the game.

I would end up being a consensus all-state pick and would play in college, but that play still haunts me to this day.
 

Gatorbait25

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My senior year of HS, my football team made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. In the first round, we were playing a team that had beaten us 7-0 in an absolute monsoon downpour earlier in the season, so revenge was on our minds. In the 2nd quarter, we were down 7-0, and had the ball on the 12 going in after a big kick return. We ran a bootleg and I was wide ass open in the flat. Caught the pass, turned up, and a kid came out of nowhere. I tried to reach the ball out to the goal line, and his helmet landed directly on the ball as I reached it out. Fumbled right into one of their guy's hands. We would end up getting the ball right back on an interception and would kick a FG, but that's all the scoring we managed for the night. Ended up losing 16-3, but not getting that TD changed the game.

I would end up being a consensus all-state pick and would play in college, but that play still haunts me to this day.

Jordan Reed feels your pain.
 

MidwestChomp

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Sophomore year track and field I was the anchor of the 4x400 relay team. We went to state rated the 4th best team. In the finals the number 1 team false started (I have no clue how you false start in that relay) so I was pumped and thought we could take it. I took the hand off in second place and busted my butt around the track on the heels of the first place team. I felt great and thought I could take him. Then it happened. I hit the wall at the 300 meter mark. I had no idea how far behind the other teams were. At the finish line 2 teams passed me and I fell and scraped the hell out of my leg. To make matters worse, one of the teams was our rival in-town high school who we beat every time we ran against them that season. I still hate that moment.
 

chferg

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Have to be my senior year in hs....

We had been good the last couple of years but our best WR graduated and took a scholly to Wyoming; left a big hole in our offense but we were good enough to still get into the playoffs....played a team out of the west side of the state in districts and we needed this one win to secure our spot...ended up playing the worst games of my entire life...missed 9-10 tackles...two went for 6...ended up getting pulled towards the middle of the 4th quarter.

If I had another one, of my own it would have been my junior year of high school; we start out the year 6-0...a win against Hannibal and we are likely conference champs for the second time in over 30 years...they just had installed new (old) turf that they had received from the St. Louis Rams when they redid the dome. We got punched in the mouth; Hannibal ran for over 300 yards on us and literally blew us out 55-6....never will forget that night. Our QB took a shot so hard that he walked off the field...to the other teams sidelines. When we got him back to our side, he passed the **** out....

All-time favorite memory happened to my buddy as I didn't play basketball; we were in the state play-offs with a chance to take home our first ever state title in bball...had the number 1 team in the state down by 5-10 most of the game; game was in sectionals but the road was easy the rest of the way....we miss from free throws and are up two with 5 seconds left...this guard named Kramer Sauderberg (sp?) who ends up playing D1 ball, takes the ball and nails a three as time expires...

 

heavychevy

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I have two.

My jr year, playing with Cornelius Ingram who was a senior, had one loss all year to the eventual district champs and lost home field advantage in the playoffs. ended up in sneeds Florida for our first round. Cold front came in the day before, game time temp was around 40 degrees. none of us even packed a long sleeve shirt let alone extra socks and the like. we left hawthorne at 70 degrees very early in the morning. FSU gave the entire team a tour of all the facilities on our way through, it was the year after Rix parked in a handicap spot and I had the balls to ask him where he parked when I saw him in passing. he acted like he didn't hear.
Anyway, we get to sneeds and it freezing ****in cold. I was the 3rd or so biggest guy on the field at 6'180lb and wasn't fast enough to go anywhere but the line. I must've gotten 5 or 6 holding calls. The tape showed them to be bad calls. The refs really raped us. I've always felt a little responsible for the loss. We were #1 in the state going in and lost in the first ****in round.

The other story is after graduating HS not even receiving a letter for baseball, I got a chance to tryout for sfcc in Gainesville. Tryout was tossing it around and a 5-10 minute bullpen session. I couldn't hit for the life of me to I went in as a pitcher I had decent stuff but nothing great. Ended up ****ing laying pipe in the pen. Hit 90 on the gun, I don't think the catcher had to move his feet at all. I got a call back chance. I'm chosen to throw first out of 10 guys or so, so that immediately makes me nervous that they may actually consider choosing me. For some reason I didn't mentally prepare to throw against actual batters. First pitch I try to break the sound barrier, plunk the guy right in the rib cage. I don't think I threw a strike for the next 10 pitches and they said that'll be all. Went home and cried like a b!tch.
 

Jabberdave

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Just recently. I was at a bar with a friend. This lady he knows came over and started chatting him up. She had a really cute friend with her and she and I start up a conversation. Started with introductions and basic, idle chitchat. As the drinks flowed, our talk moved more towards flirting and she brushed up against me a couple of times. I'm thinking "oh, yeah! Been a while since daddy has some leg!"

And the, for some inexplicable reason, I just blurted out "$10 to touch it. $20 to watch me touch it."

She didn't think it was as funny as I did. :(
 

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