There were two minutes left in the 2011 Thanksgiving Day Classic. Coventry had the ball and an offense that featured, six foot six receiver and Uconn recruit Tom Myers. Coventry gained a first down with short passes, time was running as myers cut across the center of the field, the quarterback rifled a pass toward myers as the large crowd roared, the Ellington defense reacted. The middle linebacker stepped in front of Myers on the fly, picked off the pass and raced to the one yard line. Moments later Ellington QB Brian Ryder capped a brilliant day running by, crashing into the end zone for the win 27-14 Ellington.
As the Ellington players boarded the bus to come home, the Ellington fire and police departments lined up at the town line, waiting for the team. Soon a victory parade unlike any in school history took place, a memory that lives forever came from players stepping up. Thanksgiving is a day for memories, for legends.
Tonight you will face the elements, the hostile crowd and the disrespecting opponent. They have waited for this night, but what they can not know, what they can not control, is how bad you want to win, to step up, to be the guy soaked and cold who forces that fumble, got that sack, who steps not only in front of a pass, but steps up for his school. The guy that became the legend of 2013. In a few hours you will have a chance to raise a banner, perhaps your last time for all time. Step up, reach up and raise up the Thanksgiving Day Classic trophy.
