Elijah got postered the night before the BIG game & his cheerleader Sarah made him a blanket...SO AWESOME!!!!
This past week marked our BIG Edison vs. Fountain Valley Bell game. The week leading up to the game is almost as exciting as the game itself. It starts on Sunday with all the parents meeting at the school to make posters, goody bags, signs and the dreaded locker cleaning. Yes the parents take on the task of cleaning out the boys lockers & the entire locker room. Each year they pick a winner for the messiest boy. One year we found a thick covering of mold on pancakes & sausage that had obviously been in there for several months. I wasn't on locker duty this year (thank goodness!) I didn't hear who won the "award" this year but I figure I would've heard if it was my son. We put up posters & goody bags in each locker.
Throughout the week they get root beer floats, more goody bags and then a fancy dinner the night before the game which always is a steak dinner called "Baron of the Beef" symbolizing how they're going to eat em' up! Earlier in the day they dressed up as Fountain Valley Nerds...
My lil nerd!
Elijah's tie & glasses look so cute...lol!
The morning of the game, at 2:00 a.m. all the parents meet to decorate/poster the entire outside of the school. This is a long standing tradition. The first time I heard of it when my oldest son was a freshman I thought, "2:00 a.m., are you kidding me?" But after so many years of doing it, you realize it's such a cool thing to be a part of.
5:30 a.m.- Okay we're EXHAUSTED!!!
View pulling into the school for the Pep Rally
Every inch of the school gets postered!!
WALL ART!!
We didn't finish till close to 6:00 a.m. A lot of parents go to breakfast at someone's house and then head to the pep rally. I knew that since I'd just gotten over a long 2 week sickness I needed to try and get a little sleep. So my hubby and I headed home to catch a couple of hours sleep. It was actually my first time attending the pep rally in all the years with our 4 other boys. I'd always wanted to go but when the alarm would go off I'd hit snooze and never get up. This year was our last year and I made sure to set two alarms...I wasn't going to miss it. It was fun and took me back a couple of years to my high school days!lol! We took tons of pics with Elijah, friends & the bell...which is what the winning team gets to keep at the school for the entire year. The game is HUGE and sells out every year. This year was particularly
bad because several of the senior parents didn't get tickets before they
sold out and had to sit on Fountain Valley's side.
THE BOYS WITH THE BELL
Elijah (on the left) & Trenton (on the right) have been playing football together since the age of 5! Vargy (in the middle) joined them a few years later...they've grown up on that Edison Football Field!
This should take some of you back a few years to the good ol days of high school Pep Rally's!!
The boys getting pumped up!
This is called the SONIC BOOM
After the pep rally, my hubby and I went downtown to get some breakfast
then home to sleep a couple more hours before we had to get to the
college to help set up the tailgate party (another tradition that includes recent alumni & alumni from years back.) Edison is a top Orange County football program and has a huge and faithful following.
The Team Captains
The game was a close one for a while, 7-3 heading into the half. Edison's defense which has been very stingy this year was hoping to hold the Barons to 0 and beat the all time school record which they'd tied last week for the most shut outs in a single season (4). Unfortunately FV scored a field goal...but Edison stuck to their plan working together to bring the Bell home for another year. Elijah played amazing defense. He had several key tackles, a great kick off return and a few carries on offense (he's been dealing with a sprained ankle) but has been wrapping it up and playing, determined not miss a single game of his senior year...especially this one! I'm so proud of his hard work, determination and leadership. As a team captain, he continues to lead by example, and is always one of the first to lift up and encourage his teammates.
Elijah running a kickoff return
OFFENSE! #9 Running Back/Slot Receiver
DEFENSE!! #9 Outside Linebacker
Edison came out after half time and took charge. They pounded the Baron's on defense and showed up big on offense. The final score was 21-3. The defense was SO close to a shutout!!
This week is our final league game against a tough Huntington Beach team. Winning this final game will give us the sole title of Sunset League Champions and a 1st seed heading into our new playoff division the Southwest. I'm expecting big things for this team. Most of the boys have been playing together since the age of 5 and have such a tight bond...a brotherhood. They work for each other, never letting their brother down. Let's go CHARGERS...make this the BEST YEAR EVER!!
My son Elijah is in an International Business program at his high school "The Center for International Business and Communications Studies"(CIBACS.)For his junior year project he had to choose a career he might be interested in and intern there. He chose a Sports Agent. He spent 10 hours working for a Major League Baseball sports agency, Full Circle Sports Management. I was able to help him find the contact through my boss who's good friend is the owner of the agency.
They came up with a project that would not only teach him a part of their business but also help their company. He had to make housing spreadsheets for every MLB team & their lower divisions (AAA, AA, A+ & A.) He then had to contact apartment complexes in the area of each team and compile a list that the agency would be able to use and give their players. He also organized player information in the office. The project ended up actually being more than 10 hours...he worked at home for weeks. He also learned about becoming an agent, the schooling needed (a lot of agents have law degrees-but it's not required), the positive & negative aspects of the business. It was such a great opportunity & Elijah realized that this is truly something he would like to pursue.
On Saturday, all the Junior Class CIBACS students gave individual presentations in front of a panel of judges. This included PowerPoint, portfolio, and job description presentations. I was able to sit quietly in the back behind the judges and watch. He is such an amazing speaker/presenter. I asked him after if he was nervous (he didn't show it...and I would've been freaking out!) and he said, "No not at all."
After a few hours, the judges tallied up all the votes and during a luncheon, handed out the awards.
Elijah ended up winning the TOP Award "Outstanding Portfolio and Product Presentation 2012!" He was shocked...and didn't expect it at all.
Can you tell he was shocked? Look at his face!
Congrats Lijey...you never cease to amaze me. You give your all in all you do and I'm one proud mama!
