Yesterday’s action had separated the teams a bit for the first time since we began this Color War. Red had taken command and were oozing with confidence. Gray wasn’t going down without a fight and had taken a few runs at the lead. But each time they got close enough, Red was able to respond. This day would go a long way to determine the outcome, especially with the most impactful night of Color War, Songs & Cheers looming. The boys had been rehearsing for days, but tonight’s performance could give one team the momentum it needs going into tomorrow’s finish.
But first, there was another full day of activity to report. Gray might be scrambling to recover tonight if they couldn’t dent the lead, and Red could really put the pressure on….Here’s what happened:
Gray made another move early by winning two of the closest Cubs/Lions Football games we’ve seen. A couple of last minute interceptions by the defense closed it out on both fields as Gray escaped last minute drives that would have won both for Red. Again, Red kept Gray at bay with another win down at the Pond in Freshmen Waterfront. They followed that up with a win in Sophomores Tennis, and it began to look like a tough day for Gray.
In Junior Softball, though, Gray poured it on, scoring in all but one inning in a rout on the Fred Pierce diamond. Then, they surprised everyone by holding the heavily favored Red squad scoreless in a very well-played, but defensive 0-0 Seniors Soccer tilt over on the Hejduk. Gray further swept both Stars Golf and Bunkline Bocce (a new venue for this one) to get back in it.
However, once again Red withstood Gray’s comeback attempt with a frantic one of their own in Tigers Lacrosse, erasing a 2-goal deficit with 5 minutes left to win 3-2, and keep Red in control as all headed to lunch.
Teetering a bit from the Lax comeback that closed the morning, Gray still looked refreshed as Captain Max and his Stars leaders encouraged their boys to dig a little bit deeper as they hit the fields and courts this afternoon. Red Captain Noah urged his boys to keep the pressure on and not let up. Gray would sure keep coming and more than capable of turning it around.
Quickly, the Gray Cubs/Lions sparked a fire by winning the first of two Soccer games on the Snow Field handily, only to see Red respond with a dominating performance in the 2nd to halve the point. Red then followed it up with a win in Tigers Tennis that went down to the last match. Gray Sophomores bounced back and won a nail-biting Lacrosse game at Sky II. Ari F was the savior, stopping a one-on-one shot from the crease as time expired to protect the 1-goal win.
Two fantastic, thrilling finishes in Seniors Basketball finally gave Gray the spark it needed, On the lower courts, Red was down 6 late, but made back-to-back 3’s to tie it at 27, leaving the upper court to decide the point. The game was tight from the opening tap, with neither team able to build more than a 4-point cushion. A put-back shot with 14 seconds left gave Gray a 1-point lead before Archie saved the game with a last second, spectacular blocked shot at the buzzer to preserve the win, 33-32 for Gray.
At the Rink, the teams seemed as evenly matched as the final score in the first game of a double header in Stars Hockey, and tied 3-3 – again leaving it up to the Game 2 winner to settle it. Matt N and Jackson each lit the lamp twice for their respective teams. After Jacob R scored 4 times in the 2nd one to lead his team to a 6-3 win, Gray was now roiling. Over on the Links, Gray continued its surge by quickly dispatching Red in the Juniors Golf matches, then swept both games in Bocce to draw within a point of the lead.
In Freshmen Baseball, when Hunter knocked a two-out, two-strike pitch into centerfield with a man aboard in the top of the last inning to knot the score at 1, it appeared Gray was poised to finally draw even. But Red rallied for a run in the bottom half that would win it and keep Red ahead.
Gray was more than back in it though, sitting just a couple of points off the lead, with a chance in tonight’s Songs & Cheers competition to grab it. Each team would perform 6 “songs”: a Team and Camp Cheer (1/2 point each), Team Fight Song and Old Camp Song (1 point each), an Original Camp Song (2 points) and a Production Number (worth 3 very big points) – a total of 8 points that will surely give one team the momentum it needs to go for the gold tomorrow.
Under another sensational, Maine moonlit sky, the boys put their collective hearts and souls into every note, lifting their performances way above any level they had shown in rehearsals. One of the more amazing, repetitive features of every Color War is how both teams seem to miraculously put it all together on the Rec Hall stage, whether inside or outdoors, when the pressure is on. And tonight was no different.
With so much on the line, Gray has come all the way back, winning the night 6-2 and seizing the lead. What a turnaround! We can’t wait for tomorrow’s finish… a last morning of athletic contests followed by the ultimate closer - TUGS of WAR!
