Madeline Hubbard ’19
Sports Editor
It’s Super Bowl Sunday evening in Jordan House, and the gloomy rainstorm outside hasn’t put a damper on any of the fans’ moods gathered to watch the biggest match of the year. Over 40 Smith students, Patriots and Eagles fans alike, gathered to celebrate the game among friends.
The energy in the room was almost palpable as the kickoff marked the 52nd Super Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. The New England team was predicted to win the match with five Super Bowl wins under their belt. The Eagles with no prior Super Bowl wins had an amazing season with incredibly strong defense.
This game was a true test of their defense against the team and quarterback that came back from a 25 point deficit in 21 minutes in last year’s Super Bowl. Tom Brady, a well-seasoned QB with eight Super Bowl appearances, was positioned against Nick Foles, the backup QB for the Eagles, who started three games in the regular season.
In the first quarter, the Eagles came out strong scoring the first field goal, but the Patriots swiftly answered with a field goal of their own. According to SBNation with two minutes and 34 seconds left in the quarter, the Eagles put some distance between themselves and the Patriots with a touchdown.
Immediately, all the Smith Eagles fans stood up and began to sing as if on cue, “Fly Eagles Fly, on the road to victory. Fight Eagles Fight, score a touchdown 123. Hit ’em low, hit ’em high and watch our Eagles fight. Fly Eagles Fly on the road to victory. E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!” The Eagles Fans around the nation were giddy clinging to this lead heading into the second quarter.
At eight minutes and 48 seconds, the Eagles running back, LeGarrette Blount, carries the ball into the zone for their second touchdown of the night. Again, singing and cheering ensued. The Pats respond with a 45-yard field goal to try to turn the tides, but the next play is the one that shifts the momentum.
The Pats intercept the ball at the two-yard line, and on the next play White completes a touchdown bringing the score to Eagles 15, Patriots 12. With 34 seconds left in the first half of the game, the tight end, Trey Burton, makes a pass to Foles in the end zone for the touchdown. With so much riding on the Super Bowl, from money, to bets of streaking the quad, tensions were understandably high going into halftime.
The second half starts with the Patriots and their fans eager to put some points on the board. Brady makes a short pass to Gronk to gain momentum with the first touchdown of the second half. The score now at 22-19 Eagles the Pats are breathing down the Eagles’ necks.
Five minutes pass and the Eagles get back on the board with a touchdown by Clement. The Patriots called for a replay to overturn the call, but the call remained, pushing the score up 29-19 Eagles. With three minutes left in the third quarter Brady finds Amendola and the touchdown is good. The Eagles are unable to answer before the quarter ends.
The fourth quarter begins, and the battle continues. The Eagles put in a field goal, and the Patriots answer with another touchdown by Gronkowski. For the first time in the game, the Pats are in the lead 33-32 and the Eagles fans were biting their nails on the edge of their seats. With two minutes and 21 seconds left in the game, Eartz makes the catch from Foles and dives into the end zone putting the Eagles back on top, 38-33. The Eagles Fight Song has never been sung so loudly before. Twelve seconds later on the Patriots second down, Brady gets sacked and fumbles the ball to, Rookie, Derek Barnett. The Philly team bring the score 44-33 with a 44 yard field goal. In the remaining seconds, Brady is unable to complete a pass, and the Eagles have won their first ever Super Bowl in history.
Sammie Pavlov ’18, a Philly native and diehard fan, had pleaded with the football gods, “I just want one Super Bowl in my lifetime! I don’t ask for much!” Sammie’s pleas as well as pleas from Eagles fans around the nation were answered with a historic victory for the underdog team.
The celebration that followed was just as historic as the match with fans swarming thee streets of Philadelphia climbing awnings, street lamps and most impressively the gates of city hall.
Here at Smith, the celebration was slightly more reserved, but just as exuberant with screams, tears, hugs and shirt waving among fans and friends. To all the Patriots fans out there, better luck next year, and remember if “you want to f*** with the eagles, you have to learn to fly.”
